Sonic Forces: Resistance is Magic
by MetalJrock
Summary: Sequel to The Blue Blur. The heroes of two worlds must liberate Mobius in light of its conquest at the hands of a interdimensional villainous alliance.
1. Green Hill: Lost Valley

"Sonic... how I hate him."

A round scientist with a bushy mustache growled this. He stomped around in his dark lab, the capsules illuminating it with the mysterious contents that lied inside. Contents only he knew about. It was true, his hatred ran deep and he was just about ready to commit to his next plan.

Looking at the capsules were a yellow cubed shaped robot and a orb-like red robot. The scientist continued his dark bragging while he looked at the monitor.

"And all that loathing has been focused on this invincible instrument of destruction!" gloated Dr. Eggman, turning his head to Orbot. "Every defeat. Every humiliation at the hedgehog's hands will be returned a thousandfold by my unstoppable creation!"

Eggman pushed Cubot aside, said robot wiping the capsule. He looked at what was inside it. And he smirked deviously on what was placed on the dark being's chest. "This is my dream come true. With this invention I can expand the Eggman Empire across the globe and conquer the world!" he revealed.

Eggman began laughing while Orbot looked to his robot partner, "The boss means business this time!" he said, having never seen their creator act so... confident and ruthless before. Or at least in a long time.

"Uh-huh!" Cubot agreed.

The being could be seen breathing, finally awakening from his slumber.

Green Hill Zone. Normally it was a peaceful land within South Island. But today things were a little different. It seemed... drier than usual. Sand covered most of the land and it was filled with robots.

A blue hedgehog with red shoes on his quick feet ran as fast he could on the green checkerboard hills, spotting the eerie desert in the distance beyond the rock formations. He knew today wasn't gonna be a normal day.

"Sonic! Eggman's forces are surging into the city! We need you here now!" said Tails from Sonic's communicator.

Sonic the Hedgehog smiled his usual proud grin and answered as loud as he could, "Hold on, Tails! I'm on my way!"

With that, Sonic jumped off a ramp and made it to the next section, choosing to halt once he spotted a few floating creatures that he wasn't expecting in Green Hill of all places, "Whoa. Haven't seen you guys in a while." he pointed out to the weird white creatures. He seen them before of course, and he smiled, "Heh, I take it you're here to lend me a hand again? Alright, little buddies. You can tag along." he told the Wisps, "Thanks again!"

The Wisps allowed Sonic to absorb their power, filling him with a new energy, one that allowed him to run faster, "We don't have time to lose!" he shouted. "Better kick things up a notch!"

The blue blur began to boost through the terrain, smacking robots aside like they were bowling pins. "Heh heh. Egghead's robots still aren't a problem!" he said.

Sonic jumped over a small bump and performed his trademark Homing Attack on a robot before chaining it by landing on a red spring, bouncing onto the next piece of land and dropping onto it, continuing his boost.

Sonic bounced off a few springs and turned his head in midair, looking into the growing desert that was once lush green. His eyes widened when he saw a giant blue worm emerge from the sand, a loud rumble and grumble echoed as Sonic shouted, "Man! Look at the size of that thing!"

He flipped onto his feet when landing and he let out a groan, "Guess all kind of things show up when your neighborhood turns into a desert." Sonic wasn't even sure how it happened if he was being honest with himself. "Ugh. Clean up is gonna be a chore."

The hedgehog then boosted through more robots and running up a slope to find more White Wisps. He used his Homing Attack on an unsuspecting robot before it could even shoot its laser and ran across a bridge, landing in the bottom alcove of the section he was in, dropping to his knees for a second before dusting himself off for a split second.

Sonic began to slide on the dry land and grunted, "There's sand everywhere! Green Hill's looking a lot more like Sand Hill right now!" he curled into a ball into a little cavern and fell down a sand fall, where a waterfall once stood.

Landing on solid ground, looking a little less green than normal, Sonic made his way around a loop using his superspeed. He began to boost through more robots once he noticed them; "Man, this place is a wreck. Thanks, Eggman! Now one of my favorite spots is ruined!" he muttered loudly to himself, annoyed by what became of such an area.

Sonic ran on a wooden bridge that circled around a lone rock formation in what looked to be a canyon. "This is it for Green Hill. So the city must be close. Let's get ready for action!" he exclaimed to himself, indeed ready mentally for what came ahead once he arrived, boosting through more dry land. He saw the giant metal bodies of robots. Robots that looked exactly the same as one he saw a long time ago, except on a much bigger scale.

He needed to clean this up.

* * *

The city was burning, and the attack Eggman launched was still ongoing. Dr. Eggman watched the destruction from his Egg-Mobile and at the two tailed fox protecting the civilians. Tails spun his namesakes around, knocking back as many robots as possible before the bystanders could be touched. "Where are they all coming from?" Tails asked, feeling a little overwhelmed being the sole defender.

However, a familiar blue blur stepped out of the shadows and handled the robot army by himself by Homing Attacking, kicking and boosting through them. Landing on a knee was none other than Sonic himself, looking no worse for wear. The animal people cheered as Sonic asked them with a friendly wave, "Is everyone okay?"

"We are thanks to you. Cutting it a bit close though, pal. I tried to hold them off as long as I could though." Tails replied with a friendly wink, happy to see his old friend.

Sonic shrugged, "Yeah, that's pretty much how I roll. Nice job taking care of things before I got here though." he shook his head and pointed at the egg shaped doctor at last, who merely glared at the blue rodent he so despised.

"Okay, let's finish this, Eggman!"

Eggman pointed a finger back, "It'll be your finish, Sonic. Behold the power of my ultimate masterpiece!" as he gloated, Sonic began running forward, jumped and curled into a ball, ready to attack Eggman like he usually would, not in the mood to hear his usual gloating.

But before Sonic's Homing Attack collided with Eggman, another blur came down and pushed him back. Sonic tumbled and groaned while rolling on the floor, trying to get his bearings. Tails took the moment to evacuate the bystanders before things escalated even more. Sonic slid on his knees and saw the offender.

Standing before him was a hedgehog like him, with red stripes on his curved quills. He looked to have been covered in a bizarre purple aura and was seemingly fading in out while his form glitched. "Shadow?! It's you?!" gasped Sonic. The black hedgehog silently folded his arms and stood his ground.

Jumping down next to Shadow was a burly red creature. His head was black, his eyebrows were blue, had spikes on his shoulders and horns on his head. "Zavok?!"

Coming down next was a blue robot that looked like the blue hero, his optics glaring, "Metal?!"

Finally, a watery bipedal creature with glowing green eyes jumped down, his liquid form unchanged, "Chaos?!"

Shadow, Zavok, Chaos, and Metal Sonic all stood in front of Eggman. The four of them glowing and fading that strange purple glow. Sonic and Tails were taken aback by this alliance, especially Shadow being present on the opposing side, meaning something was obviously wrong.

Someone else came down. A figure clad in black and surrounded in a red aura, white dreadlocks floating in the wind. His tail was long and he wore a mask on his face, one eye covered and the other exposed, glowing too. The being folded his arms and floated down in front of Sonic.

Still undeterred, Sonic smiled and charged forward, but the new baddie stepped to the side before the blue blur could attack. Sonic's eyes widened and he grunted in surprise as the villains all turned to face him. He didn't think this villain would dodge in time.

"Whoa! This guy is faster than Sonic!" exclaimed Tails in shock. A feat not easy to accomplish, the fox noticed.

Sonic jumped back from a small blast the new villain shot out and he jumped up ready to attack. The figure merely backflip-kicked Sonic in his ball form forcing him to uncurl and be defenseless. The black and red being roundhouse kicked Sonic a few feet, "Huh?! Ugh!" causing him to crash onto a wall so hard, it became rubble once he hit it. Sonic groaned again, landing on his face painfully.

"No! Wait... it's something else..." Tails realized.

Sonic tried to shield himself from the stranger's blasts. But Zavok marched to him and tried to punch him. The hedgehog blocked and countered with a kick, surprising the Zeti, who was pushed back. Sonic boosted forward and tried Homing Attacking the mysterious being, but while he was in midair, was nearly smacked by Metal Sonic.

Luckily, the blue blur saw this coming and stomped to the ground, charging after the being once more. He dodged Sonic's air boost, causing him to land on a rooftop.

Chaos was up there and tried to smack Sonic, but the hero held his stretchy arms back as hard as he could, "What are you? How are you doing-?" he tried to question this new villain, but said stranger teleported behind him and kicked him back to the ground as hard as possible, "Ow!"

Eggman chuckled, "Nice!"

Rubbing his head, Sonic fell to a knee and shouted, "Tails! I could use some help here!" he leaned back from another kick from the new enemy and backflipped before getting thrown into another wall, crumbling it upon contact.

Tails nodded, putting down his Miles Electric, and running forward to help his friend. But something held him still midrun, he found himself stuck in a teal aura, "What the heck?!"

Tails was pushed onto the floor stomach first by what he felt was a beam, but it wasn't by any of the five villains that were already present since they were too focused on Sonic at the moment. He groaned aloud, "Huh?"

Stepping out of the shadows was a black quadrupedal being, holes covering her body, her hair messy and green and fangs seen in her smug grin. Next to her was a black and red unicorn, wearing a crown and red robe, and finally a purple unicorn with a mane a shade darker and a mint green stripe, her horn was glowing the same color as the field that covered Tails. The three of them too had that purple mess that plagued Sonic's rogues. The villains halted their attack to allow this entrance.

"Who... are they?!" Sonic asked through gritted teeth.

Eggman laughed, "Ah yes, how could I have forgotten? Meet Queen Chrysalis, King Sombra, and Starlight Glimmer. All rogues from another world. A world we have been to before you miserable rodents!" he exclaimed darkly.

"Y-You don't mean..." Tails gulped.

"That's right." the scientist smiled, "I brought them along for this little war of ours!"

The hedgehog growled, unable to believe his nemesis could stoop so low. "No! Not them!" Sonic shouted, trying to attack, but Shadow uppercutted him, tossing him into the air. Metal followed up with an air boost that hit the hedgehog in his face. Zavok added a punch as Chaos smacked him.

Meanwhile, Tails wasn't faring much better. He tried to attack Starlight, but she teleported away before he could reach, "Huh? She could teleport too- Agh!" screamed the fox, feeling a magic beam hit him in the stomach. He opened his eyes and curled into a ball, his tails exposed, ready to Spin-Dash Sombra. However, the false king created a forcefield, deflecting the fox's attack, throwing him into the air, allowing Chrysalis to tackle him.

Tails elbowed the changeling queen and was thrown onto the ground, rolling. "Oh man..."

"Tails!" Sonic screamed, wanting to help his friend.

Tails wasn't gonna give up though. He got back up and used his twin tails to spin back Sombra with a burst of wind, "Don't worry... Sonic... we got this... like always." panted the fox, reassuring his old friend with confidence.

Sonic managed a smile, but was pushed down by Shadow. "Come on, Shadow! Say something, dude! Why are you on the wrong side now?!" pleaded Sonic to his rival, their arms clashing in an attempt to counter.

"Hmph. I'm not your _'friend'_ anymore, Faker!" Shadow declared, punching Sonic right in the muzzle. Sonic and Shadow boosted towards each other, auras of blue and yellow colliding, but Chaos used his arms to smack Sonic aside, making him roll on the floor. "I have my own agenda with you. It's time we settled this rivalry of ours."

Tails ducked under another one of Starlight's spells, it hitting the debris, "I don't know who you are, but we're not gonna let you hurt anyone!" Tails declared, using his tails to fly. He tried to kick the purple unicorn back, but was shoved aside by Sombra, his magic covering the young fox. "Come on..." he groaned.

Sonic slid and countered a kick from Metal Sonic with one of his own, "Just go, Tails! I don't want you getting hurt!" ordered the blue hero, not wanting Tails to risk his life now.

"No way! We're in this together!" announced the hedgehog's friend, leaning to the side to dodge Sombra, who swung his head upwards, creating a vertical wave of magic shaped like a blade to harm Tails. Tails growled and dived forward, performing a somersault to get his bearings back. Sonic depended on him, and now was not the time let him down.

Starlight smiled and drove a hoof directly onto Tails's chest once she suddenly teleported in front of him. The fox grabbed her hoof and spun her aside, getting blindsided by Chrysalis, who shoved him with a spell. The changeling gave the young hero a smug grin.

Sonic jumped back from Chaos, who began smashing his watery arms upon the ground. "Heh! Wha-?!" he screamed getting pushed into the air by the mysterious figure, getting tackled by Zavok. Metal charged towards the hedgehog, juggling him, allowing Shadow to drive his palm directly onto his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Finally, the mysterious entity finished things off by kicking Sonic directly in the skull. The hedgehog's body hit the floor. He tried getting up, a quiet grunt escaping him. But the pain was too much and he collapsed right there from exhaustion.

"Sonic!"

Tails screamed when he saw his unconscious friend. The fox was taken aback by Starlight holding him down and throwing him into the air, allowing Chrysalis and Sombra to gang up on him with no way to fight back, trapped in the mare's magical grip.

Tails was smacked, tackled, shot at with magic. He screamed with each hard attack thrown at him, unable to counter. The young hero was thrown aside like a ragdoll right next to Sonic's unconscious body thanks to the unicorn.

"N-No..." Tails gasped, his body dropping too.

The eight villains looked at the two beaten heroes. It was over. They had won at last. Finally, the entity spoke and questioned the doctor, "_Shall I dispose of them?"_ he opened his palm, ready to end them.

Eggman shook his head and the being curled his hand, "Not yet. I want those two nuisances to suffer for humiliating me after all these years. Take Sonic, but leave the fox here. I want to crush his and his annoying friends' hope that they will win." he began to smile deviously.

"Today is the day, Sonic the Hedgehog was defeated!"

* * *

The rays of Celestia's day shone over Ponyville and Equestria. It was a beautiful sunny day. Blue sky, no clouds in sight, and all was calm for the average ponies. They all spoke, walked and the foals played outside like they usually would, getting their errands done.

Except for the events going on in the towering crystal castle. Six ponies and a purple dragon sat on chairs, surrounding a crystal map. Unfortunately, Twilight Sparkle and her friends were not just average ponies.

"What do do you think it is, Twi?" asked, Rainbow Dash, a cyan pegasus with a prismatic mane.

The lavender alicorn, Twilight Sparkle, shook her head, "It's been a while since the map called all of us together. This has to be really important."

A white unicorn, Rarity, tapped her chin, "I do believe this problem could be on a scale much like when we encountered Starlight."

An orange earth pony with a stetson, Applejack, muttered, "Gotta be. Ah don't know why we'd all be summoned otherwise."

"Um... I hope it isn't as dangerous as last time." a yellow pegasus with a pink mane, Fluttershy, whispered in slight fear.

A pink earth pony with a frizzy mane a shade darker than her fur, Pinkie Pie, smiled, "Don't worry, Flutters! As long as we stick together, we'll be fine!"

The dragon, Spike, proudly crossed his arms at the revelation, "I'm just glad that I got summoned with you for once. I wonder why."

For a while, ever since she got the castle, Twilight had a map of Equestria, one that would assign them to a certain location to solve a friendship problem. So far they have been paired, usually to help each other as well. This was the first time in a long while that all of them were called at the same time. The call being their glowing cutie marks (and Spike's glowing scales).

There were seven of them present. However, there was another mark on the map, something Twilight noticed, "We have to wait for Starlight Glimmer. Then we can head to where it wants us."

"Why do you think it hasn't picked a spot yet?" Fluttershy wondered. "Normally it would show us where to go."

Rainbow groaned and planted her head in her hooves, bored out of her mind, "Let's just get the show on the road already!"

"Patience, Rainbow, darling." Rarity said, "Starlight has to be here for when we depart. This involves her too after all."

"Where is she anyway?" Spike asked, having not seen Starlight since the night before.

"I actually haven't seen her all day. Trixie, Sunburst and even Sunset don't know where she went off to as well. Even then, we still don't know where we're-" Twilight paused, hearing a strange sound echo across the room.

Suddenly, a purple vortex opened up on top of the crystal map, pulling the ponies in. All of them held onto their chairs as they tried to fight its strong grasp upon them, "What is this?!" screamed Rainbow Dash.

"I-It's like a carnival ride!" Pinkie cheered.

"O-Oh no..." Fluttershy squeaked, losing her grip on her chair as the portal pulled her in closer. "Aaahhhh!" she screamed, flying into strange vortex.

"Fluttershy!" screamed Rainbow Dash, deciding to let go and chase after her friend. "Whaaa!"

Applejack did the same, "Oh no ya'll don't!"

"Wheeee!" Pinkie screamed, curling up and following.

"We gotta go after them, Rarity!" Twilight shouted, the unicorn nodding in agreement. The portal grew bigger still. And so, Twilight and Rarity went after their friends to make sure they were safe.

"Oh come on!" Spike yelled, his claws digging into his chair, trying to hold off until he could get Starlight to help once she came back. His claws began to lose ther grip, his hands and his body sliding backwards while the mysterious portal continued to take hold of everything.

But alas, he too was pulled in its powerful grip. Spike screamed, falling into a vortex of purple into the unlnown, "WHHAAAAAAAA!" he screamed, trying to keep himself composed, unable to see his friends.

However, he didn't see the ponies that were once with him. But he did see someone else. A short blue figure with spikes on the back of his head and red shoes. He looked familiar to the dragon, but something looked off about him.

"Is that-?"


	2. Chemical Plant: Space Port

Months have passed since the apparent defeat of Sonic by Eggman's hands. With the blue hedgehog presumed dead, the odds were stacked against the remaining heroes, who banded together and formed the Resistance. Together they fought Eggman's forces and hoped to put an end to his reign.

Now only a few isolated areas haven't felt Eggman's wrath. One of them being the Resistance's Headquarters. The main room was dank, dark and only had a computer and projection screen. A certain green crocodile walked in, looking tired and rubbing his head, "Eggman's army is unstoppable!" exclaimed Vector, getting the attention of Espio, Charmy, Amy and Silver. "I was barely able to handle them out there. Luckily I got here just fine."

"Without Sonic. The people are losing hope and giving into despair." the crocodile added.

Silver folded his arms and said sternly, "Despair is a luxury we don't have, guys."

Sighing slowly, Amy held a hand to her chest and said with some hope still left in her, "I still dream that Sonic is with us. Do you think he might be-?"

"I may be an optimist, but I'm also a realist." replied the silver hedgehog in a calm, yet stern tone. "Sonic is gone, Amy... and Tails is... Tails has just lost it. He blames himself for what happened to Sonic..." he reminded her sadly. The Chaotix shook their heads at that, recalling the mindset of their two tailed friend, who decided to venture off on his own to 'make amends' as he put all those months ago. "If we're going to win we have to do it without them."

Espio slammed his hands on the table, "Silver is right. We've been hoping for a miracle these past six months, but I'm afraid we have to make our own miracle." Charmy nodded in agreement. As much as they hated to admit it, things were dire and they couldn't rely on Sonic and Tails this time.

"Eggman's army has everyone terrified. If we want the people to rally, we have to show them that strength doesn't just come from numbers." Silver said.

Charmy performed a backflip, "Not everyone is terrified. Isn't a new recruit joining us today or something?"

Amy turned on the computer and began typing, the others looking over her shoulder, a picture of their new recruit appeared on the screen only a moment later, all the necessary intel available, "I'm accessing his file now."

A few moments later, the door opened, revealing Knuckles the Echidna. Silver greeted him, "Knuckles. What's the sitrep, commander?" he wondered.

Knuckles gave a thin smile and looked to the team and everyone laitenes to what he had to say. The echidna became leader once the news of Sonic's defeat came about and Tails left. His experience was beneficial to this cause, "Happy you're all still alive. Eggman's forces have chewed through our defenses at Green Hill and our soldiers in the city is reporting that whatever it is that finished Sonic..."

He had to pause and close his eyes, clearing his throat, "Sorry, I'm still not used to saying that." he looked at the large monitor that laid on their wall, "Whatever it is has got them running in fear."

The door opened again, this time revealing a red wolf wearing a glasses headset and a belt. Knuckles continued, "All except for this brave kid, who survived the battle and made it in one piece. Meet our newest recruit, Buddy." he introduced. The echidna playfully shoved the wolf, causing him to stumble.

Charmy flew forward and got a closer look at the newbie, "Hmm... He doesn't look like much." he said at last.

Knuckles smirked, "Neither do you, Charmy. But I still found a use for your pointy butt."

Charmy scratched his head, "Teehee."

Deciding to get back on track, the Resistance commander handed Buddy a gun, "Here. Take this. We're depending on you." when given a confused glance, Knuckles explained, "This is a Wispon, a device my pal Tails created sometime ago. It can harness the energy of these little creatures called Wisps. You can't miss them. They've actually been really helpful in powering these up."

A beeping sound went off on the computer Amy was using, "What is it, Amy?" Silver asked.

The pink hedgehog began typing, "I'm getting a massive energy reading at the Chemical Plant! It isn't the same one as the monster attacking our defenses!" she pointed out.

Knuckles tapped his muzzle, his spiked namesakes seen, "This could be a good exercise for the Rookie." Buddy pointed a finger at himself when he heard that, "Ah, you'll be fine, kid. I'll send a team out there to investigate. We'll cover for Buddy as he goes for the source of the energy surge.

Vector patted Buddy's back, "Don't worry, kiddo. You got us by your side. If ya need any help, just give us a ring and we'll be right on it to lend a hand!" he assured, allowing the wolf to get a moment of relief before his first mission with the Resistance.

"We're a team after all." Charmy cheered.

* * *

"Aw man... What happened...?"

Rainbow Dash shook her head, trying to get rid of the migraine that stung her skull. Her hooves were weak, no doubt her body was tired from what she endured. And the surprise touch of cold weather to her senses. She rubbed her aching forehead, "Aw man... That was a real trip... Even for me..."

Twilight trembled up, "R-Rainbow?"

"Twi?" the cyan pegasus called out. She was grateful that she wasn't alone.

"Where the hay are we?" Applejack grumbled, the farmpony adjusted her stetson, "Cause whatever took us, it wasn't fun..."

Rarity kept her mouth shut, her stomach grumbling, still reeling from their sudden trip, she gulped and finally responded, "You aren't wrong, Applejack..." her eyes trailed the enclosed area they were in at the moment, "Oh dear, it seems we were all brought here." she observed, finding Pinkie Pie and Fluttershy.

Seeing Fluttershy and Pinkie, the ponies helped their friends up, the pink pony managed a smile before getting her bearings, "Can we do that again...?"

"I'd rather not." Fluttershy muttered. At least Pinkie was still her old self. Like that would ever change, mused the yellow pegasus. At least there was some levity.

Twilight moved frantically, her heart honestly skipping a beat at the sudden revelation, which earned an eyebrow raise from Rainbow Dash, "You okay, Twi? Ya look like you're seeing a ghost." she tried to comfort her alicorn friend, who put a hoof to her chest and her pupils shrank to pinpricks. "We'll figure it-"

"Where's Spike?!"

The girls paused upon hearing the question. Spike wasn't actually with them and they didn't notice until it was brought up. Twilight, and all of them, had every right to be concerned, "Oh dear... Spikey-Wikey is alone!" Rarity gasped.

"I hope he's alright." Fluttershy said. She shuddered, the cold weather getting to her.

"I'm sure he's fine." Rainbow said with some confidence, if not to at least assure Twilight everything's gonna all right, "He was still clinging onto his chair when that random portal or whatever grabbed us. Claws deep too. So he should be safe in Equestria getting help to get us back home." the alicorn began to pace herself, easing her mind for the moment, recalling that Spike was still holding on when they left.

"Speakin' of that portal. Ah wonder where in Equestria it brought us too. None of this looks familiar." Applejack wondered aloud, changing the subject.

They stood in a circular platform in what looked to be a giant factory. The girls could see what appeared to be a large airship. Twilight assumed it to be a dock or a port of some kind, evident by that and the various colored crates scattered around. They looked up, noticing small snowflakes and a light breeze. In the distance they saw yellow tubes with a blue liquid running through them.

"Wowie! It's winter here!" Pinkie noticed, wrapping her hooves around her body, able to see her breath when she spoke. "This place is huge! I wonder what this is all for!"

Twilight hummed lightly, trying to figure out where they ended up, "I'm not sure, Pinkie. This is unlike anything we've seen in Equestria. I doubt Princess Celestia would need a port this big... or a ship this intricately designed for that matter. This doesn't look anything natural too. Almost like everything is made of machine."

"So we're in some kinda future city? That's pretty cool." Rainbow admitted, scratching her head. Now she was believing that they travelled through time.

"I don't believe that's what she meant, Rainbow." Rarity corrected lightly, piecing things together.

Fluttershy gulped, "Then what does she mean?"

Twilight blinked, "I-I think we're in another world entirely! If this is what the map meant... how did it know we'd be needed here? Why would it want us here to begin with?"

"That darn map is weird." Applejack groaned, "As far as Ah know, none of us have no attachment to this place."

That strange sound echoed again, alarming the ponies, _"Now that is untrue. So much for the Element of Honesty."_ came a voice, booming into their ears.

"Wha- huh?" Applejack garbled, "How do ya know that?"

Out of nowhere appeared a strange being. He was covered in a red aura, floating, his arms folded and his face covered by a mask. A strange object was placed on his chest, glowing purple. This being was unlike the Equestrians have seen before. _"I was given the knowledge of your world. I know of how the six of you were the bearers of the Elements of Harmony and you hail from the land of Equestria. It seems you got my invitation after all."_ he revealed coldly.

Rainbow stepped forward, unafraid of this new entity, "That doesn't answer her question."

The stranger sighed,_ "Ah yes. You seek answers. Do know this was something my creator seeked though."_ he teleported behind Rainbow Dash, catching her off guard and causing her flinch,_ "Nothing personal, of course."_ he mocked, vanishing again._ "Normally, you would be placed in the Death Egg prison like his nemesis, but the doctor wants to watch you struggle first."_

Twilight inhaled as Fluttershy stepped behind her large unfurled wings for protection, "And what would your creator want with us? We don't know him or this world."

Appearing in front of the alicorn, Twilight jumped upon seeing the stranger's mask and visible eye glaring at her. It was unnerving to say the least, _"But you do, Princess. The doctor has called for me to use my power to summon the six of you here. Now he wants you to suffer for delaying his plan."_

"Doctor..."

The being let out a dark chuckle,_ "It seems you're slowly figuring it out. He came to your world seeking the power of the Elements..."_

"You mean Eggman?!" Twilight shouted. "This is Sonic's world?!"

The mysterious figure nodded, _"That is correct. But I wish to not reveal too much of the doctor's plan. My power was what brought you here in the first place. But that is all you're learning. Just know that you cannot rely on that blue hero any longer."_

"And what do ya mean by that?" Applejack growled.

The stranger replied,_ "Sonic the Hedgehog is gone. Defeated by my hand."_

The girls gasped at that. The six of them felt something turn in their stomachs, and Fluttershy sniffled, "He's... gone?" Pinkie hung her head sadly upon hearing that. They had just arrived in Sonic's world, and he's gone? It was a horrifying thought to say the least for the Equestrians, wanting to meet up with him at some point. But now that reunion may seemingly never happen.

Rainbow unfurled her wings and shouted, "You monster!" she lunged towards the being in rage, a rainbow trail following her flight path as she zipped forward, mourning her friend. The entity merely walked to the side, avoiding her tackle. "How the-? Agh!" she was smacked by the being's boot aimed directly for her cheek, the pegasus tumbled and slid before standing up, "You're gonna pay for that."

The stranger wagged a finger, _"If you value your life as well as your friends', you shall cease."_ he opened his palm, revealing a ball of energy that he wasn't afraid to use. Rainbow took a nervous step back, holding back tears from the revelation, realizing that if he had the guts to end Sonic, then he would definitely do the same to them. _"Ah, you're smarter than I give credit. You should be afraid of what I'm capable of. Such a shame our meeting must end here. But I shall leave with a parting gift, since after all, the doctor wanted you to suffer first like he's doing with the hedgehog."_

With that, the figure left in a burst of red. Fluttershy said, "W-What did he mean by that...?"

"I-I-I don't know..." mumbled Twilight, "If Sonic is..." her eyes closed, "Hold on... He said, 'like he's doing with the hedgehog'." she realized, her jaw agape. A smile crept upon Twilight's face, "Then that means he's alive! Sonic is still out there somewhere. Probably taken captive by Eggman if what that thing said was true."

"Then we're just gonna have to go out there, kick his sorry butt and save our old friend." Rainbow proudly declared.

Rarity shook her head, "This being defeated Sonic in combat still. How would we dare stand a chance against him?"

The farmpony sighed, "As much as Ah hate bein' brash, she's right, Rarity. If Sonic lost, then the least we could do is try. He saved us and our world. This is the least we could do."

"I'm not gonna stand by either with that meanie still hurting others!" Pinkie said.

Twilight exhaled, wiping her eyes and getting her composure back to explain something, "If we're in Sonic's world... We have to return the favor. He would want us to fight still, even if he wasn't around for some of it. First, we have to find Tails and Knuckles then-"

A warp sound was heard, and the alicorn stopped talking, spotting the grey round robots that suddenly appeared around them. "We just got here and we're already getting ambushed?" Rainbow groaned, "Guess we gotta send these to the trash heap too!"

"For Sonic!" Pinkie cheered.

And so the ponies jumped into action. Rainbow Dash charged first, tripping a bot, before it exploded. Twilight deflected one of their laser blasts and shot a burst of magic at it. While it was distracted, Applejack turned her body and kicked it down, causing the metal creation to fall on its face. "Ah forgot how strange it was to fight these things." the orange pony commented.

"They do seem fragile still." Rarity admitted, using her magic to throw one over the chasm that awaited them near the platform. She took notice of something, "Hm. I do wonder why rails are floating there."

Rainbow Dash drove her hoof directly into another robot, "That's what you're worried about? We got some robots to take down and you're focused on the floating rails?"

"I thought it was worth observing!" Rarity chided.

"They must be for transportation!" Pinkie answered, jumping on the head of a robot.

Fluttershy ducked under a laser, and Twilight destroyed the robot shooting at her, "Now's not the time for arguing." said Twilight, annoyed by the fact they were debating during a battle. Fluttershy shoved a robot that was coming for her right in Applejack's direction, and she bucked its head. "That's something we can ask Tails and Knuckles when we find them."

Rainbow Dash nodded, "I wonder where they're at anyway."

* * *

The Chemical Plant. This was a location that was pretty bad to begin with. It was a factory Eggman used on West-Side Island long ago. Now it's covered in ice during this time and is used as a port for imprisoning people and weapon shipments since he decided to bring it back as a major force of his conquest.

Buddy ran along the yellow tubes filled with blue liquid. The wolf extended a wrist and released his grapple, holding onto a hook point and swinging, landing on solid ground. He was debriefed on what to do and how to use his arsenal on the way over. He was nervous, but he was ready to put it to the test.

And so, the wolf pulled the trigger and fire began to burst out of the weapon. He ran forward, burning each and every robot that stood in his path with ease. _"Vector, what's your status?"_ asked Knuckles through the communicator.

_"We're handling the defenses within the tunnels."_ Vector answered a second later, _"The Rookie is up top fending off as much as he can to clear a path."_

Buddy felt his body shake and it wasn't just from being cold, hearing a distorted sound through his comms. One he heard before. He nearly stopped, but forced himself to push on anyway. _"The monster that destroyed Sonic is here! I repeat! That thing has found us!"_ Espio shouted.

"Get out of there now!" Knuckles ordered. _"Let the Rookie continue clearing his sector and we'll rendezvous at the energy source through there. You hear that, Buddy?"_ the wolf nodded, understanding his orders clearly.

The Rookie leaped over a chasm and raised his arm, activating his grapple around one of the yellow tubes. He swung around them and flipped back on the ground, using his Wispon to destroy any more offenses. Buddy paused for a second and saw a floating rail. He's heard of these before and knew that Sonic used them to grind on. But this was something he hasn't done before. Pretty big demands for a first mission to do all this, he had to admit.

Despite this, he took a few steps back and ran forward, jumping so that he could land on the rail. His body leaned side to side, trying to find a good balance while keeping speed. Buddy extended his arms out, keeping himself still. The wolf bounced on a red spring and swung again, landing on a platform over some water.

Then, he grappled over and landed on a cargo train. And by land, he slid on it and just barely grabbed the edge of the car. The Rookie managed to climb up, but saw a dead end. As fast as he could, Buddy leaped up before he hit the wall. As he moved, he saw some tracks, and another train heading for his direction. Buddy needed to act quickly, and so he swung again, pulling himself towards another part of the Chemical Plant to safety.

Once he landed, Buddy held his chest, his heart beating fast from the tense moment and he panted, _"You okay, Rookie?"_ Knuckles asked, _"You made it this far. I'm impressed. Keep at it, and you should be where we're needed."_

_"Espio? Have you made it out?"_ Silver asked.

Espio replied, _"We have. That monster vanished. It seems he was just toying with us. He will pay._"

_"We'll worry about him later,"_ Knuckles said, _"For now, we have to focus on the mission. Follow the path the Rookie made, he's clearing things up from his end."_

Buddy gulped, thinking that he knew what Espio was talking about. That sound brought back a bitter memory. One he didn't want to recall right now. He pulled the trigger on his Wispon and let out more fire, destroying more robots.

He stopped once he saw an orange creature floating around. The wolf investigated it, seeing one eye and it's body was shaped like fire. Buddy believed this was a Wisp, said creature pointing at the weapon. The Rookie smiled and held it up. The Wisp nodded and allowed itself to be absorbed into the Wispon.

Feeling a new heat within his palm, Buddy pointed downward felt himself boost upwards. He began to flip in midair, his teeth gritting as he was caught off guard by this. He pulled the trigger again and he took off once more. The wolf chattered his teeth and he did it once more, reaching a higher platform. Unfortunately, the red wolf landed on his face, not used to making landings.

Buddy could feel the snow linger on his face and he wiped himself off, a little annoyed. "Hm." he hummed, seeing more grind rails leading into what he believed to be a docking platform. So, the newbie jumped down and swung towards the rails, grinding on them until he reached the end, letting himself go with the flow.

Then, the Rookie began walking once he arrived on the platform, "Not bad at all, Rookie." complimented Knuckles, "Did you find anything?" he wondered.

In his sights, much to Buddy's surprise, were six... colorful horses? All surrounded by the scrap that were once Eggman robots. Taken aback, Buddy aimed his Wispon forward, his arm shaking. "What is it, Buddy?" asked Silver.

The ponies saw the red wolf and Rainbow shouted, "Whoa! Easy, dude! We're on your side... I think."

Unsure of what to believe, the Rookie decided to lower his weapon to allow an explanation. "You're probably wondering how we got here?" Twilight asked.

_"Rookie! What's your status!?_" Knuckles called out, the communicator loud enough to be heard by the ponies.

Applejack blinked, "Hold on, was that Knuckles?"

_"..."_ Knuckles was quiet. Buddy was surprised to hear that this pony may know his commander, _"Is that you, Applejack?"_

"Yer darn right it is. Boy are we mighty glad to see some familiar faces here." said the farmpony.

Buddy held out his communicator, allowing Knuckles to respond, _"This is a surprise. Are the rest of your friends there?"_

Rainbow Dash spoke, "Yep! We were brought here by some creep wearing a mask!"

_"That must've been the same person that defeated Sonic. He's gonna pay for ending our friend."_ Knuckles replied, knowing exactly who the ponies were referring to. "I'm happy to know you all and the Rookie are fine though."

Twilight corrected the echidna, "Sonic's alive. That person said that he wanted us to suffer like the hedgehog, the doctor's nemesis, is. We have to save him right away!" she announced.

_"He is?!"_ Amy cheered.

_"We'll go over all this when we arrive."_ Knuckles said.

Buddy tapped his foot, spotting the Resistance members that were sent with him. Knuckles was the first to land, "Well then. Nice to see the six of you again." the echidna greeted, happy to see some more of his old friends here. They all landed and properly introduced themselves to one another.

"Likewise, Knuckles." Rarity replied. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you all."

Silver flew in, his teal aura vanishing, catching Pinkie off guard, "Wow! You can fly without wings?! Can you teach me?" she wondered, bouncing in front of the silver hedgehog. Buddy blinked, realizing that this pink pony was capable of vanishing and reappearing at a moment's notice. He was really beginning to question them.

"Uh-"

Knuckles said, "Calm down, Pinkie. Only he can do that."

Scratching his head, Silver said, "Yeah. My name is Silver. I heard about you before from Sonic, Tails and Knuckles. It's nice to finally meet you all. I just wish it wasn't like this."

Twilight nodded, "I agree. We heard things are dire over here. Whatever that monster is, he's powerful."

"And fast!" Rainbow Dash added.

"Where are we anyway?" Fluttershy wondered.

Buddy faced Knuckles, who answered, "We're in the Chemical Plant, one of Eggman's biggest factories. And a port for his fleet and shuttles. This isn't how it normally is though, since it was practically abandoned before his takeover."

"Back up... Takeover?!" Rainbow asked, unable to believe what she was hearing. "As in, Eggman took over the world?"

The Rookie nodded as did the others, "Hard to believe I know. After Sonic's defeat, we rallied together in his legacy. But Eggman's power is overwhelming. The people are losing hope by the second, and our Rookie, Buddy, is our newest recruit, the sole survivior of a recent attack made the same being that defeated Sonic."

Buddy waved, but the yellow pegasus gasped, "S-Sole survivor?"

"Whoever it is has no remorse. Yet we cannot harm him. We've been rallying a plan for a while now, but have come up fruitless each and everytime." Espio commented, recalling their (now hopeless in hindsight) attempts to bring down Eggman.

"Not even Tails?" Rainbow asked, just now noticing the fox's apparent absence, "Speaking of, where is he anyway? I thought he'd be with you or something."

The Resistance sadly shook their heads, with Knuckles answering, "He went off on his own. Blames himself for what happened the day everything changed."

"Why would he do so under such extreme conditions when you need his help?" Rarity wondered, "It doesn't sound like him."

Silver sighed, "He was present for Sonic's defeat. He was beaten by some people we never fought before while Sonic was fighting that monster. Eggman apparently said their names were Chrysalis, Sombra, and Starlight. We ran into them a few times during our missions and haven't been able to stop them."

"Wait what?!" Pinkie shouted.

"S-Starlight...?" Fluttershy muttered.

Vector nodded, "Yep. Why? Ya know these cronies?"

Twilight's jaw was agape. "We faced Chrysalis and Sombra before when they tried to rule Equestria... but Starlight... She was our friend. We thought she changed her ways... If-If what you're saying is true then... All of it was a lie?"

The echidna gave a look of sadness and said, "It seems we both lost friends to the dark side. No matter what, we will find out why she is acting like this. Same with Shadow. And hopefully we can bring them back to our side."

"I can't believe it... She lied to us!" snarled Rainbow Dash, "When I get my hooves on her..."

Charmy said, "So they're from your world, huh? That's odd."

Buddy tapped his chin and agreed, however before he could be able to speak, Amy chimed in, "So what should we do? Sonic's alive. But where would he, and the legion, be?"

"...The Death Egg." Vector deduced.

Applejack said, "What made ya go to that conclusion?"

The crocodile replied, "Heh. I'm a detective, figurin' this stuff out is what the Chaotix does best. Shame we didn't think of it sooner. Think about it, we've been around the planet countless times and we have yet to find Sonic. There's only one good hiding spot we never thought about and that's off this planet."

"You mean Sonic's in space?! Awesome!" Rainbow shouted.

Twilight sighed, "That's not awesome, Rainbow. He could've been tortured this whole time!"

"Oh... yeah."

"Why haven't you gone up there before?" the alicorn wondered.

"The Death Egg is Eggman's heavily fortified space station. His defenses are always on high alert there. But with you, and the Rookie. We may stand a chance to free Sonic." Silver elaborated, "This might be the biggest mission we've had yet. But all of us together, as long as we believe we're able to, can accomplish it."

"Silver is right. It is possible." Espio agreed.

Buddy silently gulped and went wide eyed. His first mission having him go to space? It felt a little too extreme for his start in the Resistance and he could feel his knees trembling. "You alright there, Buddy?" asked Rainbow, and the wolf relunctantly nodded.

Knuckles whispered to the ponies, "It's his first day with the Resistance. I don't blame him for being a little nervous." he faced the Rookie, "But we can still use your help. You seem to be a fast learner with that Wispon. You up for it?"

With the offer, Buddy nodded, giving his commander a determined look of confidence, "Alright!" the echidna said.

"We'll take one of the shuttles here and infiltrate the Death Egg." Amy announced.

"Space... This is new for us." Twilight murmured. "I always wanted to reach for the stars... but not like this." she exhaled.

Fluttershy gulped, "Hopefully this isn't too hard."

Pinkie wrapped her hooves around Fluttershy and Twilight, "I'm actually super duper excited for this! We get to leave the planet and go on an epic space adventure!" she cheered aloud, Charmy pumping a fist with her. Buddy scratched his head at the overenthusiastic mare and shrugged, choosing to leave things be until they got to the Death Egg.

Silver whispered to Applejack, "Is she always like this?"

The farmpony shrugged, "Most of the time, yeah."

"Good to know." Silver replied, standing up straight again.

Espio said, "So, will the six of you be joining us? Or would you wish to head home after this?"

"Of course we're staying. We made up our minds on that earlier. Sonic helped our world without any hesitation. I wouldn't feel good just leaving you all here when you're struggling to fight." Twilight responded. "And we need to find out why those three left our world and came here."

Rarity said, "Indeed. It's the least we can do."

Rainbow smiled, "So we're all going to space? Cool! Ready when you all are."

Knuckles put his hands on his hips, "Yep. It's simple. We go in there, fight off Eggman's defenses and rescue Sonic. It's time we staged an old-school jailbreak!"

"I wonder if he's fine." Amy muttered.

Applejack said, "Ah'm sure he is, Amy. Sonic doesn't look'ta be someone who'll go down easily. It took that creep and a team of villains to do the job after all. He should be safe."

"He better be. We need a rematch once we clear this mess." Rainbow declared.

Buddy rolled his eyes and folded his arms. A rematch now of all times? He wondered how it was in their world or what adventure Sonic went on there. But now wasn't time to think about it. The Rookie held up his Wispon, to which Twilight asked, "What is that in your hand anyway?" she pointed at it.

"A Wispon. A weapon Tails made sometime ago. We'll explain everything on the way there." Knuckles said.

"It sure feels like we need to catch up on a lot of things." Fluttershy quietly said.


	3. City: Ghost Town

Tails was working on fixing up a bulky red robot. He was unsure of what happened to him, but the second he saw him he went right to work in repairing him once he figured out who it was. The fox pressed a few buttons, but got nothing. Tails sighed, "I couldn't figure it out for you, Omega... I'm sorry I wasn't smart enough. I promise I'll get you back to normal somehow."

It had been sometime since he went off on his own. After being presen for Sonic's defeat, Tails decided to wander alone in fighting Eggman, but he too hasn't made much progress. He didn't want anyone else to take the fall, and he blamed himself for what happened on that day, choosing to atone.

Unknown to Tails, however, a manhole cover began to open, revealing a strange liquid form. Green eyes took form as the water gave itself a body to move with. "Maybe I should find a way to ask Do-" the fox heard the wet noises and turned around, spotting the creature slowly marching towards him.

"Whoa, Chaos!"

Deciding he had no choice, the two tailed fox pressed a button on his new watch, hidden under his gloves. By doing so, his hand was covered by an arm cannon. "Back off, Chaos!" ordered Tails, the fox aiming his Energy Ball Blaster Mk. II at the water god. Chaos remained still, choosing to attack anyway. "I-I don't want to hurt you. You're supposed to be good now, remember?!"

However, Chaos stopped and turned his head once he saw a strange purple rift open up in the streets. Running out of it was a blue blur, jumping on the water monster's head, turning him into a puddle and forcing him to retreat. Tails' eyes widened upon seeing this, lowering his weapon. "Sonic...?" the fox gasped.

A thud got his attention, and Tails looked to the side, seeing what appeared to be a purple dragon lying on the floor. As soon as he saw this, Tails ran and helped him up, "Spike?" he wondered. Said dragon coughed and gagged, reeling from his trip across dimensions.

"Aw man. I never want to do that again." Spike opened his eyes, and glanced at the yellow fox, smiling at the familiar face, "...Tails? Hey. Does this mean I'm in your world or something? I didn't think we'd meet again like this." he said. "Did the girls come here too?"

Tails smiled and gave his friend a nod, "Yeah. I'm surprised you're here too though. And I haven't seen them, sorry."

The two spotted the blue figure that ran out, standing and waiting for them. "Sonic! You're... _alive_? Huh?" the fox said, correcting himself at the last second. Spike raised a brow at that. It looked like Sonic, but something did seem off.

For one thing, he wasn't any taller than the two of them, his stomach was rounder, and his eyes were black instead of green. Tails said, "Oh! You're that Sonic from the other dimension, aren't you?" he asked, earning a nod from Sonic. Spike blinked, not understanding what he meant. Sonic from another dimension? He thought something was off when he saw the blue figure in the portal.

"Right, that makes sense. Do you remember how you got here?" the fox replied and questioned. Sonic shrugged. As far as he could recall, was on some other adventure with his world's Tails and Knuckles, was fighting Eggman and his robots, and then a portal opened up in their usual final battle. But he wasn't sure why that was.

Spike said, "Another dimension? Alive? What did I miss? I got here cause of some freaky portal too."

"Eggman took over the world, Spike. The Sonic of this dimension is... is gone thanks to him. This is another Sonic, one from another world we met before when reality fell apart."

Sonic waved at the dragon and smiled, "...Why can't you talk?"

Tails tapped his muzzle, "I don't know why that is actually."

Spike raised his head and shouted, "What the heck is even going on? This whole city's on fire for crying out loud!"

Sonic put his hands on his hips and nodded. Tails said, "Eggman has been laying waste to everything under his rule. His Death Egg Robots are powerful and are plentiful, wreaking havoc in every known location across the planet. With Sonic finished, I decided to head out and stop Eggman on my own since he's grown more powerful. Unfortunately, that hasn't gone well from my end." he admitted sadly.

The small hedgehog's mouth was agape, hearing that his counterpart was gone. "So, Sonic's actually gone for good? Aw man... I'm sorry to hear that."

Tails sat down and sighed, "It's my fault. I was there on that day. I was too weak... And now because of that my best friend is gone." Sonic frowned and patted the fox on the back, knowing that his counterpart wouldn't want Tails to be upset. "Eggman assembled an army unlike anything we've dealt with. Our old foes... And a friend turned traitor. Along with some rogues from your world I think."

Spike raised a brow at that, "From Equestria? Like who?"

"Eggman said they were Chrysalis, Sombra, and Starlight Glimmer. Do they sound familiar to you?"

"S-Starlight?" the dragon muttered in disbelief, "The girls and I faced them before, but you sure it was a pony named Starlight Glimmer?"

Tails slowly said, "Yes. She was a purple unicorn with a teal magic aura." he recalled, "I saw her a few times during my wandering, but she and the others keep coming back."

Sonic scratched his head, and Spike exhaled, "I thought she was genuine when she said she was turning good. She was a friend." he curled his fist and said, "But still, this is bad. Chrysalis and Sombra means bad news if they're here too. Don't blame yourself for what happened though. So they helped... defeat Sonic? The one from this world?"

The fox nodded, "It was them joined by this new monster. I haven't seen him since then, but he was stronger and faster than Sonic. He probably didn't even need the other villains. His power was different though and I'm still trying to figure out what that is. But I learned that this isn't something I can do alone anymore. We can use this reunion to our advantage." he pointed out.

With a determined glance and a smirk, Sonic pumped a fist, "Maybe Eggman's power is actually affecting other dimensions somehow. Everything happens for a reason right? We need to save the world. And maybe that's why the two of you are here. To help save the world!" Tails revealed.

Spike smiled and looked at Sonic and Tails, "So the three of us are working together? This'll be interesting. Count me in. You helped our world before, and us partners gotta stick together after all! What about you, Sonic?" the hedgehog grinned and nodded, willing to help the cause anyway he could while he was stuck here. "Awesome! Looks like we're in this together then."

Sonic was about to run, but stopped, giving Tails a confused look, not knowing where he was going after all. "Oh yeah. You probably don't know your way around here. We should probably stick together for the time being then." he held out his Miles Electric, "We have to make our way out of the city first. I'm detecting a massive energy reading nearby, so we should probably see what that is. Either it's Eggman's forces, or it could be something to help you get home."

Spike said, "Alright then, show us the way-" he and the others cringed once he heard something crash down on a nearby building, demolishing it upon contact, the three walked back from the debris, "Holy guacamole! What the heck was that?"

"Probably one of Eggman's robots causing more unnecessary destruction." Tails answered. "This was basically the epicenter for everything that went wrong."

Sonic frowned, pointing at one of the robots towering over everything, its arms flailing about and destroying everything in its path. "Jeez. Eggman isn't kidding around. And I thought his air fleet in Equestria was terrible stuff." Spike commented.

"Sonic... My world's Sonic and I have been noticing Eggman's been less... himself. When he was in Equestria, he was acting more ruthless than he had on our recent adventures. I think he's actually getting tired of us foiling his plans." Tails explained. Sonic tapped his foot, noticing that his Eggman was acting a little more of the same as well, not to this degree of course, but there were signs. "This seems to be the culmination of everything we've foiled before now."

Spike blinked in surprise, "Wow." he faced the small hedgehog, "You're from a whole new dimension, right?" Sonic nodded, "Is your Eggman like that too?" the blue blur shook his head and shrugged his arms, "Huh. Figured as much." the dragon said.

Once the sound of another meteor crashing down was heard, Tails gestured for the two to make an exit. The two ran through the streets, trying to stay clear of danger, "So Spike." Tails said, breaking the silence again, "How did you end up here?"

The purple dragon tapped his chin, "I dunno. The girls and I were summoned by the map for some reason. We were waiting for Starlight, but then this purple vortex opened up on top of it and dragged all of us in there. It made this weird sound too. Kinda hard to explain. But I saw you in there, Sonic."

Now that got the hedgehog's attention, he glanced at Spike and raised a finger, "You know what I'm talking about? Was it the same purple thing, sound and all?" Sonic nodded at that, recalling such details and smiled at his new friend once they put their minds together and deduced their connection. "So now we know that him being here with me and the others are somehow connected."

Tails said, "That's right. You said the girls were pulled in too. But they haven't shown up here though, sadly."

"Aw man. I hope they're alright." Spike sighed. "Cause from what I'm seeing, things aren't gonna lighten up. It's like a ghost town in here." he pointed out.

The fox looked at his Miles Electric, "I'm detecting a number of enemies in this area. And a major energy spike at the outskirts. We should tread the city carefully."

The three jumped down into a small sewer area, able to hide from the giant robots. It was dark, yet open, allowing freedom for the three of them to move without much issue compared to the surface. Sonic pointed ahead, spotting an Eggrobo, "Like that?" Spike said, "Wow, they look a little different."

Sonic jumped first and curled into a ball, earlier than he should've to hit the robot, "Sonic, you're not gonna reach-" Tails cut himself off, because once he saw the hedgehog's body land, Sonic managed to gain a quick burst of speed in his Spin-Dash form and destroyed the robot anyway, uncurling once he was finished. "-It." he finished his sentence once the moment ended. "What was that?"

Deciding to take the moment to explain, the alternate Sonic jumped again and charged his Spin-Dash in midair, gaining speed once he touched the floor again. Once he was standing, Sonic performed a few hand gestures to demonstrate it. Spike still wondered why this Sonic was unable to speak however.

"Uh huh. So you're somehow able to charge the Spin-Dash in midair, and gain momentum while doing that? Sonic and I never thought to do that before! This Drop-Dash could help us down the line." Tails complimented with Sonic proudly bowing.

Spike raised a brow once Tails stopped, "...You somehow managed to get an explanation out of that?" Sonic frowned, putting his hands on his hips upon hearing the comment.

The fox chuckled, "Now that I think about, Sonic, Knuckles and I were like that when we were younger too. He's from an earlier point in time than us technically so it makes sense that he's still silent after we met him already." he elaborated for his friend. "Trust me, after learning some new language with some plumbers and a green dinosaur, silence is easier to pick up and understand."

Sonic scratched his head, something about what Tails said seemed kinda familiar to him, and he was unsure as to why that was. Maybe he'll figure it out one day.

"If you say so." Spike replied.

The two jumped over a small pit, spotting a few more gray robots awaiting their presence. Their red eyes glared daggers at the team. Spike noticed one of their arms extend, aiming a cannon directly at them. The dragon dived to the side while Sonic and Tails jumped. "You okay, Spike?" Tails asked. "There's a lot more than I thought. The three of us can easily handle them, right?" Sonic smirked at that. Spike pushed himseld back up once the beam missed.

Tails curled into a ball and jumped on one of the robots, straightening himself out and aiming his arm cannon downward before landing, blowing up another one.

Sonic ran forward and rolled, his spines enough to break through the metal. The hedgehog got a knee and felt a laser blast barely miss him. A robot tried to shoot at him. With his usual smirk, Sonic jumped over it and stuck his tongue out to taunt the robot. He noticed small bursts of smoke appear where the blasts missed and he zipped forward, turning the bot to scrap with a Spin-Jump.

Spike gulped, his pupils shrinking once he saw another red beam narrowly miss him. The dragon inhaled, letting out a burst of green fire from his mouth. Thanks to his thick scales, he used his claws to slice the metal being's arms before letting Sonic jump in to finish the job, touching the ground once finished. "That wasn't too bad." Spike admitted, looking at the pile of scrap.

Tails pulled out his Miles Electric from his tails, which were a lot bigger than expected, "Like I said, this wasn't the worst of it. I'm detecting that massive energy reading still. There's another one. It's bigger, but farther away. We can worry about that one later." he put his handheld away and looked ahead.

The ground began to shake, causing the three to stagger, "What's going on up there?!" Spike gasped aloud, noticing some debris landing from the ceiling.

"No doubt the robots. We gotta get out of here before the place collapses!" Tails shouted. Sonic grabbed Spike and Tails' arms and zipped away right as the ceiling fell right where they were standing, avoiding their demise. "Wait-!" Sonic focused on what was on front of him, ignoring the fox for the moment. The hedgehog's feet spun in a circle as his legs moved faster. Tails and Spike felt their feet get lifted from the shaking ground.

Sonic scowled and made his way up the slope, running on a wall and moving so fast he temporarily ended up in midair. He released the two and Tails spun his namesakes behind him, holding Sonic and Spike's arms to allow a slow descent. The three dusted themselves off and Spike glared at Sonic, "Can you give us a warning next time at the very least, Sonic?" he asked, patting dirt off his arm. The group was now standing on a balcony of an obviously abandoned building that was still somehow standing despite the destruction.

The hedgehog merely tapped his foot and raised a brow. He turned his head and his jaw dropped at what he saw. In the distance, he saw a few Death Egg Robots, all colored dull gray, all larger than any he's ever encountered before. Their metal arms expanded down and destroyed any defenses left, demolishing buildings and occassionally moving to continue. This was wrong, and he knew it. Sonic had wanted to prevent this disaster, but with his interdimensional counterpart gone, it was clear that even with backup, it was overwhelming to handle. Sonic scowled, folding his arms, knowing in disappointment that nothing could be done at the moment.

"I know it's hard to look at. Trust me, it never gets easier." Tails sighed to Sonic and sat down for a moment, looking at the looming destruction in sadness, "Eggman has gone too far with this plan. And I'm sorry our reunion had to be for this, but I couldn't do it." Sonic's gaze softened at that, wanting to hear his alternate pal out. "I messed up big time. Like I said, it's my fault this world's Sonic was defeated and I couldn't do anything to so much as dent Eggman's Empire alone. I tried and I still failed. I didn't want anyone else getting hurt or worse because I screwed up again in the first place. A part of me doesn't know if bringing you two along is a good idea at all now that I think about it."

Sonic rubbed the side of his quills, confused. The fox sighed, the moment his decision was made flashing back in his head.

* * *

_**Six Months Ago...**_

_"Come on, Tails! Please wake up!"_

_Said fox snapped his eyes open, sitting up once he heard his voice shouted right in his ears. "Huh? What? Where am I?"_

_He was greeted by a certain echidna, one of his lifelong friends along with Sonic, "Thank goodness you're alright. We thought we lost you there for a second." Knuckles patted Tails' shoulder, relieved to see his friend still in one piece. Looking around, he also saw Silver. All of them were in a room hidden away from the rest of the world, still in the city that was currently being demolished. "Can you explain what happened and why we found you like that?"_

_Tails blinked, yawning, "I'm fine." he turned his head, "Eggman attacked the city. Shadow, Metal, Zavok, Chaos... All of them were with him and on his side."_

_"Shadow?" Silver gasped._

_"Chaos? With Eggman again?" Knuckles grunted, "I can't believe this is happening. Are you sure it was them?"_

_Nodding, Tails replied, "Yeah. They had this weird purple thing around them too. Not only that, but he allied himself with some villains from Equestria, Knuckles."_

_Now that revelation caught Knuckles off guard, "Equestria? Did you see the girls too? Are they somehow on Eggman's side as well?"_

_"That was the other dimension you were in, right?" Silver asked for recollection, with the fox and echidna confirming, "Figured. Only Eggman can stoop so low to drag another world into this."_

_"I didn't. Eggman said they were Chrysalis, Sombra and Starlight Glimmer. The girls probably encountered them before, but they were surprisingly strong. All of them were able to put up a fight against Sonic and I at the same time. Even that new person."_

_Silver tilted his head, "Who?"_

_Tails opened his mouth, "I-I'm not sure, he had this red aura and was fast and powerful. More than anything we've encountered before. He beat Sonic with the other rogues... Speaking of, is Sonic alright? I don't see him anywhere."_

_Knuckles and Silver remained silent, closing their eyes and shaking their heads. "We're sorry, Tails. Neither of us found Sonic, just you. With what you're saying and how dire things are..." Knuckles looked out, seeing the ongoing destruction. "I think we should assume the worst. You were unconscious for days and he hasn't shown up yet either. I..." a sigh escaped him, "I think we should assume the worst at this point."_

_"W-What?!"_

_Silver said, "We've looked for Sonic everywhere. The Chaotix, Amy, and Rouge found nothing. I'm sorry, Tails. But it seems Eggman actually did the deed and Sonic is-"_

_"No!" Tails shouted, tears already threatening to run down his face, "He can't be. Not now... Not when we need him." he sniffled, "Sonic can't be gone. Not for real..."_

_Knuckles frowned and for once, his tough exterior broke, he allowed Tails to embrace him for comfort as he cried, keeping himself as stoic as possible. Sonic was both of their friends and this hurt him too on the inside. But he had to accept it. This wasn't like the ARK. Sonic was gone for good, defeated by the Eggman Empire. A terrible casuality and the first of this war._

_Tails released the brief hug and wiped his nose, "I-It's my fault this happened."_

_"Nobody's to blame for this but Eggman." Silver assured. "He'll pay for his crimes against the world and for what he did Sonic. And we'll do it together."_

_Tails stood up, a scowl forming on his face, "I can't... Because of me, you'll probably end up the same as Sonic. Defeated. All of you will be better off without me."_

_"Tails, that's a dumb idea." Knuckles replied sternly, "Eggman has grown more powerful each day. We need to stick together if we want to stop him this time."_

_Shaking his head and clutching it in pain, the fox said, "No. This is something I have to do on my own. Sonic would want me to fight on, but I can't risk all of you because I messed up. He nearly died once before on the ARK cause I was stupid. This was because of me too. I was too weak to help him at his lowest, and I want to make up for that."_

_Knuckles raised his arms and his voice, "Sonic has always gone on about how __**teamwork**_ _is the best when it came to saving the world, Tails! You of all people should know that. You spent the most time with him. Do you even hear yourself?"_

_Tails bit his tongue then replied, "I do. I'll be back when I'm ready."_

_"Tails, come on..." Silver reached out while said fox walked out the door, but Knuckles shook his head_.

_"He needs time to think things over." Tails heard Knuckles say, "The kid just found out his best friend is gone and needs to find a way to cope. Heck, I still can't believe it either.. But soon enough he'll realize that this is something none of us can handle alone, even for a bit. We need to find the others and formulate a plan in the meantime."_

_The kid ran off, never crossing paths with his friends in the months passed since that day..._

* * *

Spike sat down next to the fox, who was still deep in thought over his choices, "I'm still trying to process what's happening, but you said everything happens for a reason and that's why we're here right? You got me and the other Sonic now. We don't know where my friends or your friends are at. What if us being here with you is a sign? Twilight wasn't one for friends, but after Princess Celestia sent her to Ponyville she wanted to learn more about friendship after getting along with the girls after they saved Luna together." he raised a finger, "I'm saying that alone, maybe you couldn't have done much against all this..."

Tails managed a smile and finished, "...But together, we have a chance to put a stop to Eggman." the genius stood up, "You're right, Spike. I can't dwell on this forever. Sonic would want me to keep fighting, but he also wouldn't want me to do it alone." the alternate Sonic gave Tails a thumbs up, thinking the exact same thing, "I'm glad that the two of you are here. If we can't find the others, then at the very least we can take matters into our own hands and end Eggman's reign ourselves."

The three stood up together and saw a bridge. Tails' Miles Electric beeped and the fox took a look, "That surge I mentioned earlier should be right there. Once we find out what it is and leave the city, we can prep the Tornado and head out."

Jumping down back on the ground, Sonic noticed a moving puddle coming towards them, purple bits appearing around its body as though it was glitching out. Spike said, "Uh, Tails. What the heck is that supposed to be?"

The puddle began to form itself into a bipedal being with green eyes and a brain visible on top of its head. "Chaos again?" he raised his arm and revealed his Energy Ball Blaster again, "Come on, you're supposed to be on our side now!"

Chaos swiped an arm down, prompting the three to jump, watching water splash where the water being slammed down. Sonic slid as he touched the ground. The water monster stretched a limb forward, intending to strike again, but Sonic jumped on his arm, letting it fall apart for a second before regenerating.

"So what's a Chaos?!" Spike wondered, ducking and diving from another strike. "Yikes!"

Tails aimed his cannon at the monster's brain, "Chaos is the god of the Master Emerald. He was enraged by the ancient echidnas' actions and went out of control until Sonic helped him see the light with positive Chaos Energy after Eggman released him!" he rolled, accidentally tumbling onto the being in his ball form, forcing him to become a puddle again. "He has no reason to act like this again!"

Taking form once more, Chaos caught Sonic off guard, prompting the small hedgehog to jump back in surprise. Shaking his head, Sonic jumped and performed a Drop-Dash, and immediately went through Chaos, due to his unique form. The blue blur was taken aback by this and uncurled, his mouth open.

"Aim for the _brain_, you two!" Tails ordered, "Knuckles, Sonic and I faced him before and we know that's his weak spot." the genius tried to shoot at the weak point with his arm cannon, but Chaos dipped down once again before rising, stretching an arm to attack the fox. However, Tails somersaulted and aimed again, narrowly missing the shot. "This is a lot trickier than I remember."

Spike took a step back once Chaos appeared in front of him, a watery arm slapping him in the side before he could dodge, causing him to fall and tumble in pain. Clutching his hip, the young drake stood up and gritted his teeth, "That was a lot harder than I thought it would be." he mumbled.

Once Chaos was exposed, Sonic jumped and performed his trademark Spin Attack, landing directly on the water monster's head, forcing him to retreat as a puddle in an attempt. The small hedgehog blinked, wondering what his opponent was going to do next. Seeing Chaos grow, Sonic stuck his tongue out and dashed to the side, dodging his stretchy arms again, taking a moment to mock the entity. Tails rolled his eyes, "Really, Sonic?" he muttered, shooting Chaos' body, the energy beams getting absorbed into his torso.

Sonic shrugged at the comment and zipped forward, but he was shoved aside by Chaos, thrown towards a building in the process. Spike ran forward and inhaled, but realized Chaos was a being of water. He noticed the purple glitches again, having no idea what those were. "Uh..." the dragon muttered, noticing Chaos glaring right at him. Promptly, Spike saw Sonic charge forward with a Spin-Dash to distract the entity, allowing the dragon to use his claws on the strange brain visible on the top of Chaos' head damaging it.

Tails spun his tails around to knock Chaos back slightly. The being tried to jab the fox, but Tails dodged it, aiming his arm cannon directly at Chaos' head. The blast was hit perfectly, causing Chaos to reel back in pain for a moment. In retaliation, Chaos raised his arms and dashed ahead, trying to attack Tails. Luckily, Sonic used a Drop-Dash to hit the water monster's legs, causing him to stumble. The hedgehog yawned once he finished bouncing, looking at Chaos shake, seemingly roaring.

"I don't think he's happy..." Spike gulped.

"No kidding." Tails muttered back.

The three stood next to each other, wondering how to proceed. Sonic scowled and ran forward, "Sonic!" Tails shouted at the running hedgehog to no avail, "I didn't think he'd be this stubborn."

Sonic jumped and was uppercutted by Chaos before he could attack, launching him upwards as a result. Luckily, Tails flew in and caught him to make sure he landed fine, grabbing his wrist and gently putting him down on the ground. Spike watched the two descend and Sonic jumped safely down to the ground. Sonic dusted himself off and glared at the fox for stealing an epic comeback, "If we want to stop Chaos, you gotta be more careful. He's a lot stronger than before and you have no experience in fighting him. Just this once slow down, Sonic." Tails pleaded, knowing how stubborn Sonic was.

The hedgehog's gaze lightened and he nodded, a smile forming on his muzzle. He pointed forward. Spike scratched his head, "Uh, what is that supposed to mean?"

"He wants us to keep trying." Tails said, "I think a few more hits should do it though. We just have to find a way to leave him open and unable to counter."

The group jumped to the side, dodging Chaos' arms once again. Spike said, "Uh, alright. We'll see if we can do anything."

Chaos jumped to behind the heroes and planned to attack from there. However, Tails noticed this and aimed his cannon at the mutated Chao's brain, "Not this time! We'll turn you back to normal somehow, Chaos!" he assured.

"I still can't believe this thing was a good guy." Spike whispered to Sonic, who nodded in agreement.

The dragon ducked from Chaos' arm stretch this time, letting out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness." he murmured, standing up straight and running forward. But he was caught off guard by Chaos turning into a giant ball and bouncing towards him, "What the heck?!" he turned around and ran away.

Sonic gritted his teeth and jumped when Chaos was in midair, deflecting the water being's bounce and forcing him to retract. Tails aimed his Energy Ball Blaster again and hit Chaos' head, stunning him for a brief moment. _"Now!"_ shouted the fox.

"O-Okay!" Spike said, jumping and holding back a gag, not wanting to touch Chaos' brain again, "Egh." his fist lightly hit it, causing Chaos to strangely glow purple again. "H-Huh?"

Wanting to end this battle, Sonic jumped and charged a Drop-Dash right after Tails landed his shot, his ball form smacking the mutated creature's weak spot, causing Chaos to tremble and form into a puddle in pain. Sonic landed next to the fox and dragon. The three watched as instead of retreating, Chaos faded from their sights. Their eyes widened and Spike spoke up, "Uh, was that supposed to happen?"

Tails tapped his chin and pulled out his Miles Electric, "it's unlikely he evaporated in an instant. I don't even think he can do that." he squinted, observing his readings, while Sonic tapped his feet waiting for some conclusion, "Strange. The energy surge Chaos was giving is suddenly gone. Like he was never here."

"I guess whatever boosted his power let him escape." Spike suggested to the fox.

"What if it's all connected?" Tails suggested.

Sonic scratched his head and Spike raised a brow, wondering what he meant. Tails continued once he saw the confused looks, "What if the power that brought you two here is the same one that's giving Chaos ans the other bad guys their sudden power boost?"

"..." Spike paused, "Huh. Maybe. Well what are we gonna do? I don't think it'll be the last we see of Chaos, and he was pretty tough. Probably because I didn't fight him before."

"Uh... Well before we chase after Eggman to find an answer, there's something I want to do first." Tails said.

Sonic opened his mouth, curious, "Once I get the Tornado, I want to dismantle some of Eggman's forces. That way when we do find him, it'll be easier. And we can at least accomplish something to hinder his plans of conquest."

Spike nodded, "Oh, alright then... So I guess you're cool with the two of us sticking around after all to help?"

Tails smiled and said, "The three of us need to stick together, Spike. Heck, you have no idea how relieved I am to see the two of you at the very least."

"Likewise Tails. And Sonic. Even if you're not the same one I met, you're pretty alright I guess." Spike chuckled, earning a glare from the small hedgehog, "I'm just kidding. You're cool, too."

Tails pointed the two ahead, doing their best to ignore and avoid the Death Egg Robots behind them in the distance, "Eggman has an oil refinery on West-Side Island nearby Chemical Plant. Once we destroy it, that should weaken his energy reserve and rebuilding of robots in his many factories."

Sonic tapped his muzzle, believing to know where the fox was talking about. Spike said, "Okay. Hopefully this works out well."

"With us working together, I can't see how it wouldn't." Tails assured, filled with confidence for the first time in months. He realized that maybe having some allies by his side was the best solution after all. Maybe even a little fun. And now it was time to bring down Eggman.


	4. Death Egg: Prison Hall & Egg Gate

_**A Day Ago in the City...**_

_The city was a warzone, like always. Another battle to turn the tides was going on, and it wasn't looking good for the side of good, That strange being glowing red, the one that bested Sonic, looked at the soldiers trying to fight him off, lasers aimed at him. "Pathetic. I guess I have to bring you all in line again. The hard way."_

_He opened a palm and shot out a burst of energy, explosions coming out from where they hit. Screams of pain were heard as the blasts injured them. Debris flew everywhere and bodies were thrown. It was a terrifying sight to say the least._

_But there was one still standing. A red wolf. He was hiding behind some debris. He closed his eyes. He wanted this to end, but at the same time, he knew he had to try. So he grabbed one of the laser guns and aimed it, his arm and by extension his body shaking. He gulped, unable to even release a good shot._

_The entity chuckled, "Ah, another weakling. I can taste your terror child, every bit of fear. I do not blame you." he shot a beam right in front of Buddy, causing him to trip and drop the laser in surprise, landing on his backside. "Go ahead. Give in to your fear. Flee, screaming with your tail between your legs, and I shall let you live."_

_Scared for his life, Buddy ran away. He could hear that monster chuckle darkly once more, "Another weakling to keep in check. His fear is delicious." he told himself._

* * *

"Yo, Buddy!"

The wolf's eyes snapped open, hearing the voice of Rainbow Dash shout for him. "You kinda snapped out of it. That's kinda my thing." she waved a hoof in front of his eyes, knocking him out of his horrifying memory. He was beginning to wonder if running away was a mistake. He shrugged, wondering why he was being called for.

As of now the Resistance and the girls were aboard one of Eggman's hijacked shuttles. Together they were formulating a plan for Sonic's rescue. Buddy daydreamed while waiting.

"We're about to begin explain the strategy for when we arrive on the Death Egg." Twilight explained. "It'd be best if we were all listening in."

"Ah, give the kid a break. It's his first mission." Vector taunted, "You look like yer shakin', Rookie." Buddy tried to keep himself still, but deep down he was a little scared.

"Rouge. Do you copy?" Knuckles asked.

"I read you, Red." Rouge replied.

Knuckles said, "Sonic is alive. Can you confirm his location on the Death Egg so we know where to infiltrate?"

Rouge said, "Yeah, I can do that."

"Rouge?" Applejack asked.

The echidna responded, "Best spy on the Resistance. I requested she infiltrated the Death Egg on a stealth mission yesterday to see if it had a connection to the missing people and soldiers. If Vector's hunch is correct, no doubt Sonic would be kept under tight security."

"I see him." whispered Rouge through the communicator, "I spot Zavok keeping guard. It seems they want Big Blue locked down through any means necessary. He's being kept in a maximum containment sector in he center of the station. I can't compromise my position now and risk releasing him. Let me know when you arrive so I can shut down the security in the confusion."

"I'll let the others know." Knuckles said, ending the transmission, "Alright, everyone. The plan is simple. We go into the Death Egg, trash some bots and provide a distraction so Rouge can shut down security and release Sonic from his prison."

"What do you want us to do?" Twilight asked.

Silver raised a hand, "We'll be splitting up to cover more ground. Some of you should stick with Buddy."

"Eh. I'll join him. This Rookie can learn about my awesomeness on the way there." Rainbow bragged, nudging the wolf's elbow. Even he had to roll his eyes at that. "Hey, you can even show off that little weapon of yours." she gestured to the Wispon. Buddy shook his head, basically telling her that it should only be used when necessary. Mostly for when they arrive.

Twilight spoke up, "I'll go with them. At the very least to backup Buddy. Although I am intrigued by that Wispon as you call it."

Knuckles raised a finger, "There's something you girls and the Rookie should know. The Death Egg is obviously one of the most fortified locations Eggman has. Sonic, Tails and I had to deal with it when we were younger. It was filled with deadly traps and the like according to those two even without the robots. I'm sure the design of it inside will be different compared to last time. I was unable to go due to being weakened after Eggman caught me off guard."

"Hold up." Applejack interrupted and asked, "Ya dealt with this here space station before?"

"Believe it or not, yes. The leadup to it's first relaunch was... not one of my proudest moments. It's how I met Sonic and Tails after all. With the world under his iron fist, it was obvious Eggman would rebuild one of his deadliest weapons." Knuckles elaborated, "And it's probably gotten an upgrade too."

"Eggman was more viscious than any of us thought." Rarity grumbled, "It appears as though he's gone too far. Moreso than when he attacked Equestria."

Silver responded, "You have no idea. Unfortunately now's not the time for sharing stories."

Nodding, Espio spoke up, "Indeed. We should be focused more on coming up with a strategy. I also think some of us should stay aboard the shuttle to ensure none of the robots take it when we dock and keep it on a low profile."

"I think I'll stay..." Fluttershy offered.

Rainbow Dash raised a brow, "You sure, Fluttershy? You're gonna miss out on the fun."

Fluttershy nodded, "I'm sure. I don't think I can handle fighting right now..." she whimpered.

"That's understandable." Knuckles said, "Charmy, Amy. The two of you willing to stay behind with her?"

Charmy saluted, "Aye aye, commander."

Silver nodded. He looked out and saw that they were nearing the Death Egg, "We're almost there."

"Is that the Moon?" Pinkie chimed in.

Vector sighed, "That ain't no moon, Pinkie. That there is the Death Egg itself." Buddy's jaw was agape. He had never seen it before. This was certainly something he hadn't anticipated when he was recruited for the Resistance.

"Wow. Eggman really likes his face." Rainbow commented, noticing that the space station was shaped like Eggman's face. "That is one ugly space station."

Rarity nodded and closed her eyes, "I agree, Rainbow. That is something I wish to have never looked at."

Amy spoke up, "It looks like he's actually expanded it a little. There's a lot more there." she faced Knuckles, "Did Rouge send you the coordinates of where we can shut off the security?"

The echidna gazed at the laptop and said, "She did actually. Once we arrive, we'll immediately each branch off into different paths to divert the robots to make the breakout easier. Best be prepared for a fight. That includes you five." he told the Equestrians. "This war is different from when we were in Equestria. We gotta rush in there, save Sonic, and get out before we get the worst of the bunch on us."

"We got it, Knux." Applejack said, "Just lead the way and we'll follow ya!" she declared.

Rainbow looked to the wolf, "Hey, Buddy. You ready for when we get there?" Buddy slowly nodded, a slight shake in his movements, "Ah, don't be scared. You got me and Twi right there with ya. We took on plenty of bots before now too!"

Buddy inhaled and softened his gaze. He had to be ready. Sonic and the fate of the world depended on him to step up for now. He weakly pumped a fist, "Yeah! That's what I wanna see!" Dash cheered, "Let's go kick some robot butt!"

"Is now really the time for this, Rainbow?" Twilight groaned.

Rainbow shrugged, "What? I'm just trying to pump the new guy up so he isn't a shivering mess."

Buddy tapped his chin and smiled, appreciating the effort. These ponies were certainly interesting to say the least. But his mind eased when he remembered he wasn't the only one new to the events ongoing in this war at the very least.

"We appreciate the effort, Rainbow Dash. But we can focus on morale once we're back on planet, where the people need it desperarely." Silver said, "Do you have any spare communicators, commander? I'm sure the girls can use them for obvious reasons."

Knuckles held out some headsets, "I do actually. Each of you take them, we'll keep in contact through these. Be aware of your surroundings and whoever reaches Rouge's location should update us immediately so we know to prepare to make a getaway. Cause I'm sure Eggman's robots and Zavok will be on the lookout instantly."

The girls placed the communicators over their heads, a microphone seen in front of their mouths. "Huh. I've never actually seen anything like this before." Twilight said in amazement, "You mean we can talk to each other through these?"

"I'm sure all of you have plenty of questions, but they have to wait. We're arriving on the Death Egg now." Espio revealed, "We'll all have to head out immediately."

* * *

The shuttle landed, and everybody, now that they had a sound plan of attack made their exit through the loading bay. Back on the ship, Fluttershy gulped to herself, "Oh, I hope they make it back safely." she muttered.

"This isn't our first mission, Fluttershy! Everyone will be just fine!" Charmy assured.

"I know, it's just..."

Amy wrapped an arm Fluttershy's back, "It's not easy I know. I'm sure your friends will be OK out there. Knuckles seemed to respect what you all could do before. Once we save Sonic, everything will start to get better. I just know it will."

Fluttershy said, "Um, okay. Can I ask how you all do it? None of this sounds good at all..."

Charmy hovered right next to the meek pegasus, "We have to believe. We all fought Eggman before! I don't think any of us will be fine with him getting away with being evil."

"Without Sonic, we tried to end this ourselves. We stopped a few things, but it's as though his army is limitless. No matter how much we try, we can't break through one of his fortified locations, such as Metropolis or the Death Egg." Amy elaborated for Fluttershy. "But we have to keep trying anyway."

* * *

_"HEY! Can everypony hear me?!"_ Pinkie shouted from her end.

Rainbow, Twilight, Buddy and presumably everyone else wherever they're at cringed upon hearing the loud voice. _"Yes, Pinkie. We can hear you, loud and clear. A little to loud actually..."_ Silver mumbled. _"And can you keep it down? This is partially a stealth mission. Which requires silence if you didn't know."_ he reminded her.

_"Oops! Sorry..."_ Pinkie apologized, her tone now quiet.

Buddy rolled his eyes, and Rainbow chuckled, "Heh. Caught you off guard too right? She does that. You'll get used to it, don't worry." the wolf ran forward, with the two winged ponies flying next him. He did wonder how Twilight had both a set of wings and a horn at the same time when none of the others did. But for the moment, he decided to let the question linger and continue on.

Seeing a curved path ahead, the Rookie slid and used his grapple to ease his turning, his feet sliding as he moved forward. "Whoa! I wish I had that thing!" Rainbow gasped in awe. Buddy swing his body to the side, hitting a ramp so that the three of them could pass through a gate right before it closed on them.

_"Alright, can I ask how y'all are doin' on yer ends? Pinkie, Knux and I found some robots on our path!"_ Applejack asked, sounds of metal clanging heard in the background.

Twilight said, "Everything's mostly clear for us, Applejack." as she said that, a few Buzz Bombers came flying in, "Except for the few bee robots flying towards us."

Buddy looked up and spotted the metallic animals. He inhaled, realizing that he had to fight now. So he jumped as high as he could and pulled the trigger of his Burst Wispon and fire shot out, destroying the line of Buzz Bombers on contact instantly. He noticed he missed one and his eyes widened upon realizing it was about to shoot him, an orb of energy on its stinger, but luckily, Rainbow flew through it, tearing it to pieces thanks to her speed.

"Not bad, Buddy." Rainbow complimented, "That thing you're holding is extra awesome! You can handle this no problem."

Twilight held a hoof to her headset, "Never mind, Buddy and Rainbow destroyed the robots. We're continuing on."

_"Hmph. There are robots on all our corners. Silver, Vector, Rarity and I will to hold them off so you can continue."_ Espio said. _"It seems the three of you picked the best path to reach Rouge and meet up with Sonic wherever he is. Continue on and do not worry about us. We can handle what is in front of us."_

_"Grah! Same with us!"_ Knuckles responded, seemingly finished with trashing another robot. "Understand the orders, Rookie? Just keep going through the hall!" he ordered.

* * *

Applejack kicked another robot back as hard as she could, another gray Egg Pawn. "Ah'm not sure how Eggman could even have so many darn robots."

"That's what we've been trying to figure out, Applejack." Knuckles replied, driving his fist through another bot, "It's like even with the factories all around the planet he has more than he should."

Pinkie bounced off one and drove her hooves through a Buzz Bomber, holding back a laugh, "And is it me? Or do these not look as fun and colorful as they did last time?"

Knuckles growled, "Eggman means business this time, Pinkie. We noticed it back in Equestria, but to see how grim things are... It's different than before. Silver warned us something like this would happen. There is a lot you missed. Trust me." he uppercutted another drone, then spun around curling into a ball to smash one more.

"Sure seems that way." Applejack hissed, using her hindlegs to kick open another Egg Pawn before it could shoot.

The group looked around, spotting more robots coming from all the corridors. Knuckles smashed his namesakes together, Applejack kicked back her hooves in anticipation, dragging them on the metal floor a littl before then, and Pinkie managed a fake scowl, a smile still evident on her muzzle.

* * *

Silver opened his palms, a surge of green energy overtaking the robots surrounding them. "Destroy them now! I can only hold them still for so long!"

"What in Celestia's name?" Rarity gasped, wondering what the silver hedgehog was doing, "Is that magic?"

"No. It's my powers. Just stop them." Silver grunted, focusing all his energy into his abilities.

Vector headbutted one of the Egg Pawns. Espio huffed and shoved a Motobug away. Noticing the Buzz Bomber, Rarity used her own magic to drop it down as hard as she could, smashing it to pieces once it touched the ground. "Not bad with the magic or whatever." the crocodile admitted and added. "But it ain't gonna get any easier."

"Oh I know. I just wish it didn't have to be like this." Rarity sighed, "A terrible meeting of worlds, hm?"

Silver said, "Yeah, but we're glad the six of you are here at least. We could use all the help we can get." he swiped his hand on another robot and threw it aside like a ball.

"I see..." Rarity hummed, "As much as I hate getting my hooves dirty, I'll still be willing to help the Resistance."

"That's the talk we wanna hear more often!" Vector said, bringing his fist down on a Motobug.

Motobugs, Buzz Bombers, and Egg Pawns surrounded them on all corners, preventing them from moving. "I do hope Rainbow and Twilight are fine on their end."

"They're with Buddy anyway. Not that I doubt you or your friends of course." Espio said, "For his first day with the Resistance, he exceeded all our expectations."

Silver placed his palm on the ground, shorting out all the robots besides the Buzz Bombers. Using his powers he made them explode with one single thrust of his wrist. "Yeah. Despite his nervousness, he's still here. I can respect that."

Rarity glanced at the scrap, "Oh dear. I do suppose I can see where you're coming from." she put a hoof to her ear, "Twilight, Rainbow Dash. Are the two of you fine?"

* * *

"We're A-OK, Rarity." Rainbow Dash replied. "Buddy, Twilight and I are moving through as fast as we can. Not sure what other dumb robots are in here though. And it's still depressingly dark."

_"Huh. Then I guess you three found the best possible route."_ Knuckles realized.

Buddy nodded and ran on, using his grapple to hone in one a lone robot standing still. But when he landed, he fell on his backside instead of on his feet, still not used to doing everything he has to. Rainbow held back a snicker, "Guess you still gotta work on your landing, huh?" she asked playfully, the two ponies helping him stand up again. The red wolf nodded to the cyan pegasus. He was a little embarassed, but it was nothing that will bug him for long.

The three then paused, hearing muffled voices. "Wait... Do you hear that?" Twilight whispered.

"...Yeah, I do. Weird." Rainbow whispered back. "What do you think it is anyway?"

Another voice, more clear this time, "...Help us. Please."

Twilight wanted to send a message real quick, "We're hearing voices through our side of the hall. Is that normal?"

_"I think this place is haunted!"_ Pinkie replied. The alicorn gave her friend a deadpan stare.

_"Could it be? Eggman has been holding prisoners in here this whole time?"_ Silver suggested. _"That would explain the various disappearances of our troops."_

_"Ugh. That's one more thing that Eggman has to answer for."_ Knuckles growled in disgust. _"I thought Sonic was the only one up here. But to know there are others here too... I was a fool to neglect them once they went missing."_

Applejack grunted, _"This ain't anypony's fault, except Eggman. None of ya should feel it's yer fault they went missin'."_

_"How could he do such a thing?"_ Rarity said, _"To kidnap innocent people for no purpose?"_

Espio sighed, _"To kidnap our brethren... Eggman needs no reason to do what he does. He'll do whatever it takes to claim victory. Even if it means losing all sense of morals."_

"I can probably see why Chrysalis and Sombra would work with him. He's just as heinous as them. Possibly even moreso." Twilight muttered, "We'll make sure these people are saved as well."

_"You all better hurry then."_ Rouge intercepted, _"Cause I think the alarms are going off. Just let me know when you're further in the prison hall."_ she said.

"Well, the defenses are already in here, Rouge." Rainbow murmured, "We just gotta kick things up a notch then before even more show up! You two ready?"

"You know I can't fly as fast as you, Rainbow Dash." Twilight muttered. "And what about the others?"

Buddy blinked. Wait, she can go fast too? However, his thoughts were halted by Knuckles, _"Like we said, we'll hold off the forces coming from our directions. The three of you just rendezvous with Rouge and take care of any other defenses on the way there."_ the rookie nodded and narrowed his eyes, moving forward once again. He activated his grapple once again and spun around the curving pathway, with Rainbow Dash and Twilight hovering by his sides all the while.

Spotting some robots charging their way, Twilight created a forcefield with her magic, covering Buddy, except for a small hole right where the Wispon was aimed. The wolf pulled the trigger and let out the burst of fire, destroying the robots without even stopping. Rainbow swerved upwards in order to handle the Buzz Bombers, the trail of them exploding once she dashed through them. Twilight was barely bumped by a Motobug that revved after her. So, she used her magic to entrap it in an aura, removing Buddy's and she threw it aside. "Whoa, Twi. Nice." complimented the enthusiastic pegasus.

The three ended up in a narrow hallway, "Be careful. I spotted some more robots guarding the entrance to the control room." Rouge warned. "I'll be in there. Once we shut everything off, we'll have to exit as fast as possible. Who knows what'll come after us."

"We'll take it from here then." Twilight assured, "Can the rest of you fight off any more robots from your ends, then head back to the shuttle? We'll meet Rouge at her coordinates."

Knuckles said, _"Sure thing, just give us an update on your status when you're nearby!"_

_"The same goes for us!"_ Silver added.

_"Just get yerselves back safely."_ Applejack scolded.

Entering the hallway, Buddy gulped, not liking how dark the room has gotten in comparison to the last one. He spotted three pathways and chose to stay on them the best he could, not wanting to know if there were any traps on the lower way. "Just be careful of where you're stepping." Twilight warned, gazing downward, "I don't think you'll have to worry much if you fall anyway. It's just another floor down there with ramps that lead up here." she used her horn to light up the area the best she could.

Buddy gave the alicorn a thumbs up and ran, stepping towards the left pathway. Suddenly a robot lowered itself from the shadows and charged a laser, which would've hit Rainbow had she not flown away from it, "Holy moly! That thing came out of nowhere!"

"We should stay behind Buddy, then. I don't think that's the only one in this room according to Rouge." Twilight said, flying behind the Rookie's back. Rainbow did the same.

"That robot just caught me by surprise is all." Rainbow waved off casually and scoffed, "I could take 'em on no problem."

The three moved on another narrow walkway, spotting a robot coming towards them, "Look out!" Twilight shouted, covering the three of them in a bubble strong enough to shield them from the giant laser that was aimed directly at them. Buddy exhaled, his life flashing before eyes at that moment before the purple pony saved him. He gave another thumbs up as a thanks.

The room began to flare red, an alarm blaring in the back, "Guess things escalated, huh? Where is Rouge anyway?" Rainbow Dash wondered, the three of them finally making it into the control area. The three slowed their pace and walked, spotting the controls. But no person. Rouge was nowhere to be found.

"Right here." jumping from the shadows was a white bat wearing a jumpsuit of some sort and a pink heart covering her chest. Her wings were kept up on her back, "Well well, nice to see the Rookie and the newbies to our world here. I already shut things off from here, so it'd be best if we got out of here. Sonic's cell is on the other side of the prison. We'll see who makes it first."

Rainbow nodded, "Yeah, sure. Come on. Don't fall behind, batty."

Rouge smirked, "Wouldn't count on it." she began to flap her batwings and flew next to the ponies. It was times like this where Buddy wished he had wings. But that didn't matter. He had to get out before things got worse.

* * *

Sitting in a dark cell alone was a certain blue hero, his arms and legs trapped in glowing neon blue cuffs. He sighed, wondering if he'll ever get out. But he couldn't give Eggman the satisfaction of beating him mentally. All that was on his mind was the boredom that was sitting in a cell for who knew how long at this point.

"Well well, if it isn't Sonic the Hedgehog." greeted a cold voice. "Trapped in a cage like a wild animal. Where you belong. Quite a tragic end to the fastest thing alive."

Sonic faced the red being standing on the otherside of the bars, "Oh hey, you... I'm sorry, who are you again?" Sonic asked playfully, wanting to get on the villain's nerves.

"Don't act like you haven't seen me before, hedgehog."

Sonic smirked, "Oh right, you're Zavok. Sorry, I just couldn't bring myself to remember. You're just so... boring."

Zavok scowled, "Keep making jokes all you want rodent, but I am here to make sure you pay for messing with me and the Zeti back on the Lost Hex."

The hedgehog raised his trapped arms, "Look, I'm sorry alright? How about you let me go free and we'll have a friendly chat about it over some coffee and chili dogs, huh?" he offered, a smile on his muzzle, "I think the two of us can make up for last time?"

Zavok clenched a fist, "An offer I'll have to refuse obviously. Your demise will be enjoyable to witness though. Especially if it is by my hand. And that time will come soon."

"Right. Not like I cared anyway." Sonic quipped, "Just trying start an icebreaker conversation, ya know?"

Zavok folded his arms, "A fruitless effort. Like the need for your continued existence. Pathetic that you're reduced to nothing but a sitting duck, awaiting your end."

Sonic and Zavok felt the area shake and the alarms go off, "Huh. I guess a party's about to start. I'm just gonna ignore what you said and leave..." the hedgehog raised his arms and legs, the cuffs fading away. Sonic stood up and walked towards the now open cell door, "So I think we should end the reunion right here before it gets too embarassing for you alright?" he mocked and moved past Zavok, who growled.

"Foolish, hedgehog. You are not free just yet. Now come and face the inevitable!" Zavok declared.

Sonic dashed forward and pointed at the Zeti, "The only thing inevitable is my foot getting jammed right in your face! So bring it!"

Enraged, Zavok elbow charged towards Sonic, the blue hedgehog dodging it with ease. The two jumped off with Sonic giving chase. Sonic landed on a circular platform with hexagon tiles. "Huh, fitting. Alright, Zavok. You wanted this rematch. Here I am!" Sonic boasted, calling out to his foe. He saw the prisoners looking at him, "Don't worry guys. Everything will be just fine!" he assured.

The sound of buzzing was heard. Lowering itself was a giant Buzz Bomber, with Zavok standing on top of it. He smashed his fists together and roared as loud as he could. "Ah, there you are!" Sonic shouted from his spot.

Zavok signalled for some robots to appear and said, "I cannot wait to see if you can fare against this."

Sonic jumped over a few Buzz Bombers. "Heh. Why don't you come down yourself and maybe you can see for yourself?" he offered, "Who am I kidding? You're too much of a pushover to take me on one-on-one without some robot making things easier for you."

"Grah! You dare insult me?!" Zavok shouted in annoyance, aiming a laser to incinerate Sonic with. The hero ran around and dodged the laser as it was blasted, hitting one of the tiles.

In response, Sonic slid underneath the next swarm of bee robots coming towards him, "Sorry, you just make it so easy to mock you!" he fake apologized while standing up. Sonic curled into a ball and used his Homing Attack to break through a few more robots while Zavok raised his own for a moment, "Aw, you're running away already? But things finally got interesting!"

Zavok chuckled darkly, "If you think this is a retreat, then you are sorely mistaken!"

Then suddenly, the robot smashed down on the ground, shaking the entire arena. Sonic was bounced into the air. But this actually gave him the advantage. With his momentum, Sonic charged a Homing Attack and aimed directly for Zavok's chest, hurting him. The hedgehog landed on a knee and smirked, "Ha! Sorry, I just couldn't tell with you. You and your one-note cronies all ran away like wimps when I was kicking their sorry butts. And don't act like you didn't do the same." he pointed at the agitated Zeti when he made the accusation.

Zavok shook his head to get rid of the pain that lingered, "You will regret doing that. I will enjoy watching you squirm and suffer by the time I'm through with you!" the arena began to crumble apart around Sonic, catching him offguard. The various animal people began to cheer for their hero. The first sign of hope for the first time in months. Sonic took some pride in that.

Sonic flipped over another Buzz Bomber, "Aw, I'm so scared!" he said in a fake distraught tone. "Whatever shall I do?"

Shooting another laser down, Zavok aimed the bee robots to charge after Sonic. The hedgehog backflipped, his feet kicking them up in the air. He leaped and curled into a ball, trashing another robot, "Oh right. That. Y'know, I thought the yellow guy was all about bees. Fought him on some honeycomb highway or whatever in a desert for some reason, then again, that planet you call home makes little sense compared to mine!" he taunted with a light chuckle.

Then, the giant robot was raised into the air, moving so that he could hit Sonic. The hedgehog moved around as fast as he could, "You dare mock the Deadly Six?! We are your greatest foes!" Zavok shouted, smashing the robot down again.

Once he was in the air, Sonic hit Zavok with a Charged Homing Attack, the very same attack he used back on the Lost Hex. "Greatest foes? Dude, you and your five mooks barely make the Top 5!" mocked the blue hero nonchalantly. "Wait a minute. Where's that robot dragon you had last time? You were actually kinda cooler with that. Not that it helped much of course!"

"I did not need it to destroy you." Zavok explained as more tiles began to fall, "You are not worth the effort of having me use it!"

"Big mistake!"

Looking to his side, Sonic noticed the robot coming towards him. Hastily, the hedgehog dived to the side and curled into a ball as to avoid being blindsided by a Buzz Bomber. "Whoa!" he shouted, sliding and skidding to a halt, "Not cool!"

"Grr... Just shut up and accept your fate! Lie down and _die_ already!" the red Zeti screamed. He charged after Sonic again, the hero rolling away from the moving bee bot. The blue blur got to a knee and looked up, seeing Zavok getting ready to smash down upon the arena one more time.

With the robot down, Sonic was again launched into the air and hit Zavok with a Charged Homing Attack. However, he landed on the Buzz Bomber's head in front of the Zeti. Sonic crouched down and noriced that Zavok was about to dish out a right hook, so he jumped into the air and smacked him with another Homing Attack before he could get hit, creating a blue flash upon impact.

While the Zeti was stunned, Sonic landed again and dished out a flurry of punches and kicks. Right hook, left hook, spin-kick. Loud smacks heard each time his hands and legs collided with the red being's body, grunts escaping Zavok with each attack. Sonic wasn't holding back anymore and he decided to add on to his last kick by jumping and bouncing off the Zeti's head with the strongest Homing Attack he used since their last few encounters.

"No! How could I lose to you again?!" Zavok gasped before falling from the robot.

"Yeah, that's what I expect from you. All bark and no bite!" Sonic shouted back.

With the fight done, Sonic jumped down from the now dead Buzz Bomber, a confident smirk on his face. He looked at Zavok's unconscious body and dusted his hands, "So, what does that makes this? 4-0? Wow, you're really on a losing streak here, dude. I would feel sorry for you, but I'm not really feeling it."

But then the strangest thing happened. A strange sound echoed, one that Sonic seemingly heard before when he arrived. Like that being that fought him. Then Zavok's body faded away in purple smoke. Sonic scratched his head, "Huh. I guess he was sent back to the Lost Hex or somethin'." he looked over his shoulder, "Now I gotta make my getaway before the drones come after me! Don't worry, everyone! I'll come back for you later when it's safe!"

Sonic then ran and jumped off the platform, making his way into a trap-filled hallway. He heard a rumbling sound coming from above and gazed at the ceiling, noticing it get closer. "Uh oh." said Sonic, boosing through the hallway and narrowly getting out by sliding, bouncing on a spring to boost him up to the next area. The alarms continued to echo all the while and red covered the room with the sirens. Gates closed behind Sonic as he continued his getaway.

Then, he bounced off another spring, landing on a grind rail, spotting his planet in the distance as well as various asteroids and the stars, "Whoa! I'm off world! Guess anyone who spites Egghead gets a one way ticket to space..."

Seeing some platforms on an asteroid, Sonic took the time to use his Homing Attack to bounce off some robots in order to reach them.

He then jumped into the next sector of the space station, where lasers began to flare near him. Sliding down the hall, the hedgehog stomped on some boxes blocking his way before another crusher came down upon him and he landed on solid ground again. Homing shots came towards him and he had to dodge them as best he could, seeing the electric orbs fizzle out as they made contact with a wall. Using another spring Sonic bounced into the next hallway, flipping off some stray meteorites in order to land on another grind rail.

In the distance, he could see an all to familiar face, "The Death Egg?! Come on, why can't that thing just stay destroyed...?"

The rails looped around and took Sonic into another part of the evil space station. "So I can't just drift off into deep space. There should be a ship I can borrow for myself. Yeah, a good space cruise falling into the atmosphere sounds pretty comfy all things considered. Beats sitting in a cell for months. Now where can I nab one?"

Jumping off another spring and avoiding some more homing shots, Sonic landed on another grind rail, this one seemingly going on for miles and with no surface to run on, "Yeesh. Is there anyway I can get there faster?!" he wondered.

At that moment, a small shuttle flew by next to him. Sonic smirked, "Ah well. Gotta live with this." he used his Homing Attack to land on the small ship and he crouched, waiting to see where it goes.

The ship he was on and a few others flew in towards the Death Egg's surface, dodging all the shots aimed towards them. "Man, the Death Egg's got a lot of firepower. Then again, it means nothing of they can't even land their shots. Here goes nothing." Sonic told himself, seeing a ship get shot down in front of him.

Before the one he was standing on got destroyed and fall apart, Sonic landed on one next to him, watching the smoke. "Wow. Eggman's really not foolin' around this time."

He jumped off that one right as it got shot and finally saw an opening, hoping that he would make it in one piece.

Unfortunately, the heavy artillery showed itself and Sonic was bombarded by all kinds of lasers and homing shots. The last shuttle got shot down and Sonic was forced into a freefall, the artificial atmosphere of the Death Egg being a huge lifesaver in that regard.

Sonic dived into a walkway, spotting a shuttle not too far away. But he also noticed some robots near it. He was always up for trashing something.

* * *

Twilight, Rainbow, Rouge and Buddy made their way to the walkway, but saw some robots coming towards them. Buddy's eyes widened, realizing that they were actually surrounded. The wolf held out his Wispon, his arms shaking as he moved. The pegasus said, "Just go! We can take these bots on no problem, right Buddy?" he relunctantly nodded, somewhat afraid of being left behind.

"Are you sure, Rainbow?" Twilight asked.

Rainbow shoved an Egg Pawn aside and threw it over the walkway, "Yep! The two of ya just go! Everypony else is waitin'. If what Rouge said was true, then Sonic will be here soon anyway!"

Rouge said, "Come on purple pony, they can take care of themselves." Twilight slowly nodded and flew off behind Rouge, looking over her shoulder to see the two fighting.

"You sure you can handle it, Rookie?" Rainbow said, "I can probably trash these myself!"

Buddy was ready to shoot. But then something strange happened. A blue blur appeared and bounced off all the robots, making them explode instantly. The blur halted, revealing that it was Sonic the Hedgehog, his back facing the pony and wolf. "Ah man, I haven't done that in months!" he stretched his limbs. "I can never get tired of trashing Eggman's growing pile of scrap."

"Sonic?" Rainbow asked.

Recognizing that voice, Sonic turned around, "Rainbow Dash? Heh, am I happy to see some friendly faces." he glanced to the nervous wolf, "Don't think I'm ignoring ya, dude. It's always cool to see some new faces too. I always appreciate help every now and then. But on the Death Egg? That takes guts."

Buddy rubbed the back of his head, slightly awestruck to be thanked by Sonic the Hedgehog himself. "Can I ask how you ended up here though, Rainbow? Are the rest of the girls and Spike with you?" the hedgehog wondered, tapping his foot.

"Just us. We haven't seen Spike yet. Now come on, we gotta get back to the shuttle! Something tells me we made enough noise here as is!" the pegasus answered, now flapping her wings.

Sonic smiled, "Right behind you." he patted Buddy's shoulder, "Come on, we got ourselves a war to win!"

Buddy nodded and ran with Sonic and Rainbow, getting closer to the shuttle. It was time to make an escape.


	5. Green Hill: Arsenal Pyramid

The shuttle the heroes took were on a way one course back to the planet, with their morale up, they seeked to continue the war now that Sonic was back in action.

"Sonic! I'm so glad you're alright!"

Said hedgehog was wrapped in a bear hug by Amy. "Uh, Amy. We mentioned me needing personal space before... Now is one of those times." he gagged, Amy releasing her tight grip on Sonic and blushing from embarrassment. The Equestrians got a quick laugh out of that, and even Buddy smiled.

Knuckles grinned, "It's great to see you again, Sonic."

Sonic said, "It's great to be free at last. My legs needed a good stretch anyway. So, you're the head honcho here? And Silver? Long time no see, dude." he glanced at his friends, "Where's Tails? I thought he'd be with you over here."

"I'm sorry, Sonic. We haven't been able to find him. He still thinks you're dead. We tried though." Knuckles apologized. "He blames himself for what happened to you on that day."

Sonic nodded and said, "Don't take it out on yourself, Knux. Knowin' him, he's perfectly fine anyway. Heck, he could be doing damage against Eggman on his own. We'll look for him as soon as we can. He should at least know I'm fine."

"No offense, Sonic. But we thought you were being tortured. Why are you acting like nothing's wrong?" Silver wondered.

"By torture, you mean being forced to sit in a cell for months without the ability to run and eat nothing but stale chili dogs every day to the minute? Yeah, it was pretty gruesome. Me being sick was the worst of it honestly. Plus, do you think I'll give Eggman the satisfaction of breaking me?" Sonic replied, rubbing his stomach. "I knew you guys would come around to break me out. Though the group has gotten a lot bigger since then." his eyes wandered to the Equestrians.

Twilight pointed at herself, "If you're wondering how we got here, Sonic. I'm sorry, but we don't have a lot to go with right now beyond the words of that monster."

Pinkie appeared behind Sonic, catching the hedgehog off guard, "We were just sitting there when the Cutie Map summoned us, then this weird _'pwoom'_ sound echoed, a portal opened up, and we woke up in some strange cold factory where we were attacked by robots and some meanie wearing all black! Then we met the Resistance and came to rescue you as soon as possible!"

"Whoa, chill, Pinkie. I think you explained everything I needed to hear. I think I know what sound you're talking about. I heard it when Zavok vanished after I kicked his sorry red butt." Sonic eased the pink mare, having heard enough of the explanation.

Rouge asked, "You fought Zavok? Should've known you'd be stealing all the action for yourself."

"Zavok vanished?" Silver asked, "That doesn't seem right,"

Twilight tapped her chin, "Maybe whatever we faced in the Chemical Plant is capable of mass teleportation? It summoned us here after all, so it could be the case." she suggested.

"That's right. He did play a part in it." Applejack recalled, "Makes me wonder what else he's hidin'."

Espio folded his arms, "Nothing good, I am sure of that."

Sonic rubbed his quills and said, "If I see him again, I'll just have to get some answers the hard way.

Knuckles sighed and spoke up, "As much as I want to relax and tell stories and pass around theories, we have to get back on focusing on stopping Eggman for good."

"Right." Twilight said, "Sorry. What do we do now?"

The echidna commander raised a finger, "With Sonic back, it's time we double down. We need to bring hope back to the people. We should start simple. There is a munitions pyramid factory located in the desert region of Green Hill."

"A munitions factory?!" Vector repeated, "That ain't good."

"None of this is good, Vector. That's why it's called war." Knuckles revealed in a slightly defeated tone.

"War?" Fluttershy gulped.

"Dark..." Pinkie muttered.

Twilight raised a brow, "Eggman has a weapons factory in this Green Hill place? It could be where he's getting his seemingly endless supply of robots then."

"It could be." Silver responded, "That's why it needs to be destroyed for good."

"No kiddin'." Applejack added. "Eggman havin' weapons of any kind ain't good I'm sure."

"No doubt." Rarity agreed, "Is there anything we can do?"

Glancing over at Sonic, Knuckles said, "You up for your first mission in the Resistance, old friend?"

Sonic chuckled, "Since you're the commander, I guess I gotta listen to you then. Sendin' me out there?"

Knuckles smiled and pointed to the red wolf, "Yep. How about you take the Rookie with you?" Buddy's eyes widened at that. Go on a mission with Sonic the Hedgehog himself? It felt like a surreal dream. He was nervous, but if it meant helping the blue blur himself, he felt as though he couldnt refuse.

Vector raised a brow, "Uh, you sure? He looked pretty spooked before we got on the Death Egg."

"I think Buddy can do it. He was a major help with Rainbow and I on the Death Egg." Twilight assured, in an attempt to ease the wolf's nervousness. She truly did believe he could be more than a rookie with some experience.

Rainbow slammed a hoof, "Oh no, I'm going too!"

"You can't be serious, Rainbow Dash." Rarity said.

The cyan pegasus nodded, "Yep. I am! Sonic and I gotta make up for lost time! I'm not gonna let him steal all the glory just because he's back in action now."

"Why? So you could?" Applejack muttered.

Sonic raised his hands, "If Rainbow wants to join, that's perfectly fine with me. What do you think, _partner_?" he nudged Buddy's elbow, wanting to get some input. The wolf pointed at himself in confusion for a moment, wondering if Sonic was actually talking to him. "You and me are working together, so I might as well get a second opinion on this."

"Hm?" Buddy mumbled. Partner? Did Sonic just call him his partner? That was quite odd to hear to say the least. But he nodded his approval, meaning Rainbow could join them.

"Awesome!" Rainbow chanted. "I won't let any of you down!"

Knuckles said, "It's settled. The three of you shall infiltrate the weapons factory once we arrive. I'll have to give you a communicator, Sonic. Just in case you need to contact."

"Sure thing."

* * *

It was a cloudy night in Green Hill. Sonic, Rainbow Dash and Buddy ran down the best path they could find to avoid any detection. The sector of Green Hill they were in looked to be a camp, surrounded by fences, survelliance lights and the like. In the distance was a pyramid, their destination.

"Yeesh. Green Hill's lookin' a lot sandier since I was last here. And fortified." Sonic muttered, noticing the sand drying up the grass. In fact he could spot more sand in the distance instead of the usual lush green. He, Rainbow Dash, and Buddy ran along the path in hopes of reaching the weapons factory soon. But to see this made his skin crawl, "Yep. This has Eggman written all over it all right."

_"Ugh. I hate sand."_ Rarity gagged, "It's rough and coarse..."

Silver interrupted, _"I don't think we need a lecture, Rarity. We get the idea probably."_

Buddy sighed. He had heard of this place before. To see it fall under harsh circumstances was quite disheartening. He saw the sand, barbed wire, and metal barriers keeping back most people. He saw cages with actual people in them. His eyes widened, wondering just how bad things got here over the months.

"Are those... People?" Rainbow muttered.

Sonic relunctantly nodded, his eyes facing the saddened gazes of the captured people, "Yeah... Egghead must be grabbin' them for his twisted roboticization schtick. I thought he dropped that long ago." he murmured in disgust.

"Sonic?" the hedgehog heard a voice call out to him. The three stopped, facing a lone dog sitting in a cage, "Y-You're back? And w-who are these two?"

The blue blur gave a thumbs up and said, "Yep. Eggman can't keep me still for long. These guys are Rainbow Dash and Buddy, good friends of mine." he knelt down, "Trust me, we're gonna trash this little slavery camp Eggman formed. I'm not gonna let any single one of you get turned into a robot."

The dog shook his head, "It wasn't Eggman..."

Buddy tilted his head, confused. The dog continued, "It was a horse person, kinda like you." he pointed to Rainbow Dash, "Except he was black and had this robe around him and used some crazy dark magic or whatever to trap these bars so that it would electrocute us if we were to escape."

Rainbow growled, "Sombra."

"Eggman mentioned that name before when the baddies showed up too. Guess we know who's behind it then." Sonic said.

_"Sombra's the one capturing these innocent people?"_ Fluttershy asked.

Applejack muttered, _"Of course, it's just like 'em to do this."_

Silver asked, _"If I can ask, is Sombra known for doing this?"_

_"He enslaved the Crystal Empire before Princess Celestia and Princess Luna banished him for a thousand years. But him being here doesn't make sense. Spike and Cadance used the Crystal Heart to destroy him when the empire returned."_ Twilight explained, _"I'm thinking this new enemy of ours brought him back like how he brought us all from Equestria."_

_"Yep! He covered the whole place in ominous dark clouds and everything when the shield broke!"_ Pinkie added.

Sonic scowled, "That's not good then. We need to stop him as soon as possible and get this place crossed off our maps." Buddy and Rainbow nodded in agreement. He assured the prisoner that they'd free him once things were clear before running off again. "There, I can see the pyramid. I guess Eggman really likes his pyramid bases."

Knuckles said, _"Just let me know if you need reinforcements."_

"That won't be necessary, Knuckles! I think the three of us can handle this just fine. Right, partners?" Sonic asked his companions, the two of them moving as fast as he was by his sides.

Partner. Again, something about that word filled Buddy with confidence. But he gave his friend a thumbs up while Rainbow smiled, acknowledging his words. The three jumped off a cliffside and landed in a more mechanical looking spot, a pathway filled with more barriers to break throug and robots, which were handled with ease. "Whoa. This place is starting to look like some kinda factory too!" Rainbow pointed out, "Was Green Hill always like this, Sonic?"

Sonic shook his head, "No. Normally it's a peaceful region filled with woodland animals and plants. But you know who keeps making a mess of it. This being the worst I've ever seen it. The farthest Egghead would get was turning the animals into robots."

_"My word."_ Rarity overheard.

Fluttershy said, _"He did?! Those poor animals."_

"That's how it all started, Fluttershy. Of course I'd come in to crack him open as well as free the animals, and this time will be no different." Sonic assured.

"This just gives us one more excuse to kick his sorry flank!" Rainbow shouted.

Buddy gulped. He was probably about to take on a tyrant. He then let out a sigh of relief upon remembering he had Sonic and Rainbow Dash to help him at the very least. He was unsure that he'd be able to handle facing one of the enemies by himself.

The three saw some barriers blocking their way, "Hey, Sonic, want me to fly you two over it?"

Sonic shook his head and replied, "Nah. The three of us are more than enough to break through whatever obstacle stands in our way! I think it's time we showed Sombra what the three of us are made of!" Buddy looked at him confused then caught on to what he was implying. Sonic thought it was worth a shot and nudged his new friend's elbow, giving him a boost of confidence with a thumbs up.

And so, Sonic stood in between Rainbow Dash and Buddy, giving them fist bumps (or in Rainbow's case a hoof bump) before curling into a ball and charging in midair. The pegasus and the wolf followed suit, an aura of blue covering their bodies as they did so.

**"TRIPLE BOOST!"**

The trio then boosted right through the barriers, trashing any robot and other obstacles that stood in their path. Sonic, Rainbow, and Buddy shared a smile with each other. "Yeah! That's how it's done you guys! We've got unstoppable speed and timing! Think the two of you can keep this up?" he wondered.

"Just watch me!" Rainbow boasted. Buddy nodded, feeling as though he could handle it.

The three ran up the side of the pyramid, hearing Amy over their communicator, "The entrance should be right near you. Be careful of any defenses."

"Like spinning lasers!" Pinkie chimed in.

Sonic, Rainbow Dash, and Buddy began to dive downwards once they jumped off the upwards slope. "Heh. I think we can handle some lasers, you two!" Rainbow assured.

As soon as she said that lasers did in fact appear from the walls, moving around. Buddy was surprised that Pinkie was right. When he gave Rainbow Dash a confused glance she muttered, "Uh. Pinkie has a habit of figuring random things out like that."

"At least we got someone like her on our side! We could use random right about now." Sonic laughed. The team leaned their bodies to around so they could move past the lasers without much trouble. "Yep. This wasn't much trouble at all."

At last, they landed. The first thing they noticed was that the room was filled with nothing but moving gears and robots guarding their way further inside. Sonic cracked his knuckles, "I guess this is the welcome party? I expected more." the hedgehog bragged, using his Homing Attack to trash each one standing in a line.

_"Do you guys see any people inside there? If there's a camp, there's no doubt Eggman and Sombra would want them working."_ said Twilight cautiously.

Sonic squinted his eyes. Buddy tapped the hedgehog's shoulder and looked over. Standing on a platform was a bear, sweating and tired, rotating a gear with a lever to move them. "Oh... He really is making them work like robots, Twilight. Seems Eggman's been making a bad influence on your enemies."

The three hopped down and landed on a gear, keeping themselves balanced while getting their bearings. "Whoa. Alright. Easy, Buddy." he told the wolf who was tripping on his own feet and landed on his stomach. Sonic and Rainbow helped him up. Buddy rubbed his head nervously but Sonic said, "Doing things like this takes time, dude. Don't sweat it, you're new to this after all. Anyway, seems Egghead told Sombra to set up camp here and was ordered to kidnap people."

_"Sombra is like that, Sonic."_ Twilight replied.

"That's seriously messed up though. Your world's gotta deal with our enemies too." Rainbow muttered. "And we've dealt with some pretty messed up ponies."

Knuckles replied, _"This is none of you or your friends' fault, Rainbow Dash. We know that."_

Fluttershy asked, _"Are you sure? That monster said this happened because Eggman wanted revenge."_

_"We're sure, Fluttershy!"_ Charmy responded.

Silver added, _"No matter what, we're going to stop them together. You all couldn't have predicted this would happen. We didn't. We're prepared and better now and that's all that counts."_

"Take it from Silver, girls. We got this war in the bag." Sonic said. "The three of us will let you know if anything changes."

Seeing some robots surround them, Buddy used his Burst Wispon to burn them all instantly and moved in a circle. "Nice job, Buddy. So anyway, here's the plan. We gotta evacuate any people trapped in here before we blow it to kingdom come. Rainbow, since you can fly you can probably get them out the fastest. Buddy and I will handle anything that'll try to stop you along the way. From the look of things, there don't seem to be a lot of people. No doubt Sombra wanted to avoid handling more employees than necessary in case of rebellion."

"No problem, Sonic!" Rainbow said.

Pointing upwards, Buddy grabbed Sonic's wrist and used his grapple to swing across another vantage point onto another pathway. "Okay then. Let's get moving!"

Meanwhile, Rainbow Dash flew up to where the bear was working and stopped, "Who are you? I can't talk, I have to get back to work or Sombra's gonna hurt me."

"Hey, cool it there, dude. I'm Rainbow Dash, an awesome friend of Sonic's from another dimension. Look, we're gonna break you and anyone else in here out in the blink of an eye. So just listen to me alright?" Rainbow explained.

The bear looked around, "How do I know this isn't a trap? Sonic died six months ago."

"The Resistance found him. My friends and I are with them. Just... trust me alright? They called me the Element of Loyalty for a reason back on my world," the pegasus bragged. "Trust me, Sombra is somepony I never want to see again after this."

Back on ground level, Sonic and Buddy found a sharp turn ahead. In a moment's notice, the hedgehog grabbed the wolf's wrist and the Rookie used his grapple to swing the two of them around the curve and once they were on a straightaway, the wolf retracted his wire and he and Sonic ran through some capsules. With a smirk Sonic said, "Just follow my lead, Buddy! We can blitz through any bot with these Wisps lendin' us a hand!" he boasted.

_"What are Wisps exactly?"_ Applejack wondered.

_"Alien creatures. They can lend us their power and chose to. It changes depending on the color, but I won't go too into detail right now."_ Knuckles explained. _"Glad to see them around."_

"No kidding." Sonic said.

The two of them bursted through the robots standing in their path before landing on another rotating gear, Buddy landing better this time. "Gettin' the hang of it, huh?" the wolf rubbed his knees.

More robots emerged from the woodworks, circling the duo. "We gotta trash these things so Rainbow can get the people out." he used a Homing Attack to smash some robots to the left while Buddy burnt the remaining forces to the right and center.

_"Alright, Rookie! That Wispon is coming real handy, huh?"_ Knuckles cheered on.

_"It sure looks like it."_ Pinkie replied.

Sonic and Buddy spotted a rainbow blur fly past them as they grappled to the next platform.

Jumping up another path, Sonic and Buddy found themselves on an empty pathway, able to see conveyor belts and robots being manufactured down below. Not only that, they did see an exit, blocked off by some robots. "Yo, partner. Swing us down there so we can free the rest of the prisoners." the wolf nodded and did as instructed, the two of them kicking back the drone before it even had a chance to attack them while vulnerable.

The duo landed as Sonic cheered, "Yeah, that's how it's done! Alright everyone!" he shouted over the people talking about the sudden commotion, "You're all free to go!"

Buddy aimed one of the capsule bombs given to them at the door, blowing it off its hinges. He stepped out of the way and allowed the exited prisoners to leave their torment. "Now we just gotta wait for Rainbow and then we can trash the rest of this pyramid."

But before he could run out, something pushed him back. A green and purple beam that faded upon contact with the blue blur. "Oh man... What the heck was that?"

"Trying to ruin the Green Hill Empire I have built, heroes?" asked a black unicorn stepping out of the shadows. "A real shame that such an act will be your undoing."

Sonic got up, Buddy trembling. "Well, you must be Sombra, the guy I heard so much about. The girls spoke highly of you. Okay, more like the _opposite_ but you get my point."

"Sombra's there?" Rarity gasped, "Are you three sure you don't need reinforcements?"

"Hold on, Sombra is here?!" Rainbow shouted, "I'll be there in a second to help, Sonic. I just gotta bring out this last guy."

"Sure thing, Dash." Sonic commented, Buddy walking next to him nervously, "And we're sure Rarity. Can any of you clue me in on how to stomp this guy?"

Sombra teleported forward and created a barrier right as Sonic tried to Spin-Dash him, forcing the hedgehog to bounce back. "You heroes think you can stop us? You are sorely mistaken." Buddy gulped, seeing daggers of magic coming towards him. Scared, the wolf slid down underneath them to dodge. "And look at the weak wolf thinking he can stand a chance against the Eggman Empire." he mocked, causing Buddy to fall in fear.

"Hey, don't insult my friends!" Sonic shouted, "They're more capable than you'll ever be! Oof!" he was shot back by another beam of magic, launched into the air this time as a result.

"Is that so?" Sombra taunted while Sonic's body fell. "Well, I would like to meet these capable friends of yours."

"Right here, Sombra!" a rainbow blur flashed out of nowhere and smacked Sombra aside, causing him to tumble sideways, nearly tripping on his regal robe and confused hooves, "Ah, I recognize that voice anywhere. Rainbow Dash herself is here."

"Uh, yeah. You, Eggman, Chrysalis and Starlight all played a part in that remember?" Rainbow snarled, having found Sonic and putting him back on the ground safely, his chest bruised.

Sombra tapped his chin, the purple aura appearing over him, "Oh of course. Such a shame the rest of your friends and that accursed dragon couldn't be here to fall by my hoof."

Buddy leaped forward and tried to punch the dark king, but was greeted by another force field. "See? My dark magic can withstand any attack you throw at me. And I feel stronger than ever now that I have been reborn from my recent slumber."

Dashing forward, Sonic ran around the room, dodging Sombra's barrage of magic. "Yeah, sorry. I don't do impossible odds against my favor. Just doesn't work." the hedgehog mocked, "All baddies have a weak point. I learned that much long ago!" he leaped up and performed a divekick, but was pushed aside by Sombra's magic before his foot could collide with the unicorn. Buddy tried to use his Burst Wispon, but the flames only brushed the new forcefield Sombra made.

Rainbow Dash swerved downwards, "Don't you dare do anything!" she tried to jab Sombra, but was casually pushed back by the unicorn, causing her to flinch in pain. "Time to go back under ice where you belong, Sombra!"

_"His use of dark magic is quite powerful. You need to distract him so he's unable to use it against you."_ Twilight suggested.

"Trying to, Twi!" Rainbow responded.

Buddy swung in the air and intended to perform a stomp on Sombra as the alicorn explained this, driving his feet onto the unicorn's barrel to stun him for a brief moment.

The dark king got back up once the rookie backflipped off of his back, cringing in pain. "That... hurt..." the wolf's eyes widened as he hit Buddy with a green beam and knocked him back as a result, throwing into some boxes and making a mess. "You will pay for that." the wolf got back up and tried to hit the unicorn with the end of his grapple, but was blocked by another magic barrier and was thrown aside by Sombra, landing on another stack of artillery readied to be shipped.

"Nah!" Sonic quipped, running fast enough to land a punch on Sombra before he could even react. The king flinched and reared his head to the side, growling at the hedgehog. "So, Sombrero. Got any cool light tricks ya wanna show off?"

_"Are you really tempting him?"_ Amy sighed.

Rainbow Dash laughed, "That's just how we roll, Amy!"

"The two of ya are certainly somethin' else fer sure." Applejack mumbled to herself.

Sonic ducked and slid while running, dodging a green beam aimed towards him. "Yep!" he curled into a ball and smacked Sombra with a charged Spin-Dash. "Eggman hasn't learned that lesson yet." he uncurled and tried to follow up with a kick, but instead Sombra held him still, his arms and legs tied together by some strange spell. This caused the hedgehog to fall on his hip. "Egh!" he growled, trying to free his limbs from captivity.

"You just broke out and now you're trapped once more. A darn shame for the Fastest Thing Alive I have heard about. Once I'm done with the three of you, I shall take back what was lost of this empire I have built among your world." Sombra boasted.

Rainbow Dash came in and smacked the unicorn's face as hard as she could while flying forward, "Yeah right! Like we'll let you get away with that! Once was too much already, and that only happened cause we weren't around to stop it."

Sombra said, "And you won't be able to stop it now. So why bother?" he shot a beam at the pegasus, hitting her wings and freezing them with another spell. The sudden pause on her wings' movement caused Rainbow to fall.

"Cause it's what we do..." Sonic hissed while still lying on the ground, barely able to move. Rainbow stood up but was merely pushed aside by the unicorn's barrier. Sombra dodged a jab from Dash and shot her with another beam, shocking her with an electric spell. "The three of us are here, so yeah, we're gonna stop you and save those civilians you imprisoned outside."

"The Green Hill Empire is mine to rule, Sonic." Sombra declared, using an electric spell on him, making Sonic yelp in pain, "For years, you have considered it a home and have used it as your running ground like the rest of the planet. It was the very place the started the eternal rivalry between you and Dr. Eggman. And look how far it's fallen because of that rivalry and your absence. What could your friends do if you perished here? They were unable to stop us for months when they thought it was the case! Even that two tailed freak you call your best friend."

Sonic's eyes widened and he gritted his teeth in anger, "T-_Tails_...? What did you do to him?!"

Sombra smirked, "We have done nothing. He has escaped our wrath time and again. But we intend to change that soon next time he crosses paths with any of us again."

"Don't you or any of you other mooks left standing dare hurt so much as one hair on his head!" Sonic snarled.

"Hm, seems I touched a nerve there, hedgehog. This is quite an amusing change of mood coming from you." Sombra mocked.

Rainbow, unable to move too, spat out to the unicorn, "That's because a scumbag like you is threatening his best friend! Low blow even for you, Sombra."

_"Sonic, Rainbow Dash! We can send reinforcements now!"_ Knuckles shouted.

"Don't..." whispered Rainbow, "We still got this."

Hiding behind a box, Buddy was shaking in fear. He had no idea what to do. No training or anything in the event he was up against someone like Sombra. He remembered what Twilight said earlier, but he rubbed his head, still scared out of his mind. He didn't know if he could do this right. If he messed up, it was game over for the three of them at this point. Sonic and Rainbow Dash were barely able to fight at this point, and yet this could be the one chance they have to win.

His teeth chattered and he was sweating, but he knew he had to try at the very least. So, he held out his Wispon and readied his grapple to strike at the right moment. Buddy jumped out and swung, his legs stretched out and he kicked the unsuspecting Sombra right in the forehead, somehow knocking his horn off of him. "Gross." Sonic muttered at the appendage hitting the floor, feeling the spell around him and Rainbow Dash wear off at last.

Sombra tried to get up but was burned slightly by the Burst Wispon. He exhaled, "N-No... I cannot be bested."

"Well, you are dude!" Rainbow bragged.

Sonic used a Homing Attack and finished the battle off with a roundhouse kick directly to Sombra's cheek, "And now ends our uprising!" he shouted, watching the unicorn's unconscious body collapse at last, "This false king just got _dethroned_." he dusted his hands off.

Buddy tapped his chin and Sonic smiled, "Not bad out there, Buddy. We knew you'd do it." with the rookie confused, Sonic continued, "Rainbow and I kept his attention on us so you could sneak in and finish the job. We noticed you weren't trapped with us. Some quick thinking on my part honestly. But I'm happy to see you pulled through." he smiled, "And I never doubted it."

"I like to take some credit too." Rainbow added. "Not bad for a Rookie, dude."

Noticing that he was still kind of scared about the ordeal, Sonic spoke to the rookie, "Listen, Buddy, and I know you probably don't want to hear this. I know you're scared and you have every right to be. But at some point it'll be your moment to shine. When that time comes, just keep going. Don't ever let your fear own you." he wrapped an arm around him and Rainbow Dash, "We're a team till the end. All of us on the Resistance, and I don't want you or anyone on that team to ever feel that they're worthless."

"What's with the mushiness all of a sudden?" Rainbow wondered.

Pinkie sniffled, _"That was kinda touching."_

Sonic shrugged, "I value my friends old and new, Dash. Though I'm happy to see you all and am glad to do this with all of you, I wish we knew where Tails was at. He'd be happy to meet you, Buddy and to see you and the girls again. I'm glad he's safe at least. Now let's go tell the civilians the good news!"

_"Thankfully. His absence did concern me, I'll admit."_ Rarity responded.

_"Hey, Sonic. Sorry to cut into this touching moment, but I got some news you might want to hear."_ Knuckles cut in.

"Sure thing, Knux."

Knuckles continued, _"While we were on the shuttle before you three were sent to Green Hill, we caught a disturbance on West-Side Island. The troops I sent just reported the Oil Ocean Refinery was destroyed."_ he explained. _"I never sent any troops there."_

A knowing smile grew on Sonic's muzzle, "I only know one guy who could do damage like that to Eggman."

_"Who?"_ Twilight asked.

The hedgehog answered, "Tails. He's definitely out there then. Is there any way we can track him down?"

Silver sighed, "Sorry, Sonic. I think he has a cloaking device. It's his Miles Electric most likely so he doesn't get ambushed by any of Eggman's forces alone if tracked like we can do. We can send a search squad if you want."

"Don't worry about it. If this was Tails, then he'll be fine. He'll want us to find him when the time comes." Sonic assured.

"You have a lot of faith in him." Twilight commented.

Sonic said, "As much as I do worry about him, he can still handle himself. And from the looks of it, he has himself covered just fine. Like I said, he'll want us to find him if the time comes."

"If you insist." Espio said.

"Now come on, I think the Sun's rising and the people out there could use some good news!" Sonic said.


	6. Oil Ocean: The Refinery

The Tornado was in the skies right now. Tails was flying it like always, Spike sitting in the seat behind him, and Sonic standing on the wings of the biplane like usual. "Does Sonic usually stand there like that? Seems a little unsafe without a handle to hold on to just in case." Spike wondered aloud. "N-Not that I'm doubting how good you are at flying this plane of course."

Sonic nodded and Tails answered, "Yeah he does. I try not to fly too crazy, even in the event Eggman ambushes us with robots."

"Oh."

With a few hand gestures, the reality-displaced Sonic pointed over the horizon. Tails responded, "Yeah, we're going to Oil Ocean, why?" Sonic tapped his foot, seemingly confused by that, "It blew up in your dimension when you were there last time? That hasn't happened to us. Then again, Eggman could've just rebuilt it anyway if that were the case. Strange how different things are in your world now."

Spike rubbed his head, "So, this isn't actually just Sonic as a kid then? He looks younger and smaller than the one we know, but it sounds like he belongs in the present too. I think?" Sonic gave the confused dragon a quick glare at the comment about his height.

Tails replied, "Due to how the Time Eater affected our timelines and Eggman by extension, it was safe to assume that this Sonic is now from an alternate dimension when I saw him. Time travel can be confusing sometimes. But from what we know, he's no longer just a Sonic from the past, but a separate person with his own experiences that this world's Sonic and I will never know about. Basically he's now the resident of an alternate timeline, a separate dimension. Does that make any sense?" he asked his companions.

Sonic blinked, unsure of how to comprehend what his two tailed friend just said. Spike muttered, "Uh... I think so. Better than Twilight's ramblings I guess?"

"Ha. I wouldn't know honestly." Tails laughed. "While we're on the way, we might as well catch up. How have things been in Equestria anyway? It's been a while since we were there." Sonic agreed, curious about the world Spike was from.

Spike rolled his eyes, "A lot happened since you left Equestria, dude. We lost the Elements of Harmony, stopped Tirek from stealing all the magic from our world, the girls met Starlight and then she became Twilight's student learning abour friendship.. Or at least I thought she was. She helped overthrow Chrysalis as ruler of the changelings too. I really hope there's more going on..." Sonic frowned at that and folded his arms. This Starlight pony seemed like a close friend to Spike and the other ponies Tails mentioned from what he's hearing.

"Starlight is the unicorn right?" Tails asked, "What are you going to do if we run into her?"

"I'm going to try to reach out to her. To show her that this is wrong, that it's no different from before." Spike sighed, wanting to change the subject now. "Can I ask you something? What makes this place we're going to so important?"

Tails said, "Eggman had the refinery pollute the entire area it was built in. It's called Oil Ocean for a reason and it lives up to the name. Ever since the takeover, he's been using it as a major resource for fuel for his robots like the Death Egg Robots we saw back in the city. I'm not sure how well-guarded it is now, but with the three of us working together, I'm sure it can't be any harder than Chaos."

Sonic tapped his chin. He's been to Oil Ocean a few times before after all, and he was a little curious to see if anything changed about it compared to his last visit back home. He glanced over to Tails, wanting to know how much longer the flight was going to be. "It shouldn't be too much longer, Sonic. You just have to be patient." Sonic rolled his eyes, that's something his Tails would say.

"You're a lot more different than the Sonic I know," Spike noticed, seeing the hedgehog proudly point a thumb to his chest as if to brag about his uniqueness. "I dunno, you kinda look the same, except younger. Are you sure you're the same age as the other Sonic?"

The hedgehog shrugged, he never bothered to ask his doppelganger that question. He then shook his head, realizing he never could. Spike bit hud lip, "Oh yeah... Sorry." he apologized, just remembering that the other Sonic was gone. Sonic folded his arms and accepted his apology as the dragon asked, "What happened that brought two of him together before anyway? Like what could possibly need two Sonics to join forces?" he wondered.

Tails decided to explain, "Eggman and his other self teamed up to control an entity called the Time Eater. They destroyed time and space, and Sonic and I met him and his version of Tails. We went through old locations from our past to save our friends, find the Chaos Emeralds, and save all of time itself. Luckily you and the girls weren't there. If Eggman knew about your world back then, no doubt he would've hatched his scheme there too to get the Elements."

With a firm nod, Sonic too remembered that. A simple stroll through Green Hill led to him getting attacked by the monster, then he fought his Eggman. The day the two Sonics met wasn't a day to forgot, that much was certain for him. He remembered what his alternate counterpart said to him before he left.

_"Hey, Sonic! Enjoy your future! It's gonna be great!"_

The very last words he ever heard from his experienced counterpart. To think that something on this scale could happen in his future made Sonic's heart sink. But then he remembered that Tails mentioned having never gone on the adventure he just had. Now that he and Eggman were aware of the future already, maybe his Eggman already changed the course of his plans and therefore never go down the path that led to this very takeover. It brought some peace to his mind, but now wasn't the time to let his guard down.

Sonic clenched his fist. If his other self isn't around to stop Eggman anymore, he'll have to handle things so long as he's here. He will win. No matter the world, scrambling Eggman's schemes is what he did best after all.

"Uh, Sonic." Spike called out, getting the hedgehog's attention after his brain went into a small tirade. "Is that the place over there?" the dragon pointed to a strange landmark not too far away. They were near a desert, but they could see what looked to be a giant factory. Sonic nodded, recognizing the refinery, and by extension the desert. It was a place he's only been to recently too.

Tails said, "Alright, you two. Get ready to land. The Oil Ocean is right up ahead!"

* * *

"Ugh. This place reeks."

Spike held his nose as he jumped from his seat, the Tornado right in the entrance of the refinery. He gagged. Tails frowned, "This place has been polluted for years, and it's only gotten worse. As sad as it sounds, you'll get used to it."

Sonic held his nose too. "Even Sonic agrees with me." the dragon replied, his voice stuffy thanks to his claws blocking his nostrils.

Tails held out his Miles Electric, "Okay. The three of us should stick together here. For some reason, I'm getting another energy reading and it's kind of like the one I tracked with Chaos. But be careful, this place is definitely more dangerous than the city." Sonic could attest to that at least from past experiences. "Who knows what traps Eggman placed since the last time Sonic and I were here."

"Yeah..." Spike muttered. "This place looks kind of important to just leave alone."

The three walked ahead, the purple metal clanging with each step they took. They couldn't tell if the dark orange sky meant it was getting later or the area was just that dirty. Sonic jumped over a small hole in their path, followed by Tails. Spike, however, looked down, "Holy guacamole! This place literally is an oil ocean!"

"Unfortunately. If you find any fire shields, don't use them. Oil and fire don't mix well. We should scour the area, find the energy source and a good spot to blow the place sky high so its irrepairable for long time." Tails explained. "Then again, maybe your scales can withstand the heat."

Spike shrugged, "Maybe."

Jumping over, the dragon caught up with Sonic and Tails. The hedgehog spotted some flying robot seahorses nearby ans pointed to them after tapping Tails' shoulder, "Aquis Badniks? Should've known they'd still be here." the fox sighed.

Spike pointed out, "These weren't in Equestria."

Sonic zipped to the side, dodging a ball of oil spat out of one of the metal seahorse's snout. "They shoot oil." Tails elaborated. "It doesn't hurt a lot, but it's really messy."

With a Spin-Jump, Sonic destroyed an Aquis right before its snout shot out some oil projectiles. The hedgehog uncurled for a second before bouncing and landing on another. "You missed one." Tails pointed out as Sonic landed, curling into a ball and bouncing off the last of the seahorse Badniks in their vicinity. The hedgehog gave his friend a thumbs up of acknowledgement.

Scratching his head, Spike asked, "Uh before we go, can I ask you two something?" Sonic and Tails nodded, "How do you do that curl into a ball thing? It just looks a lot easier to do than slicing and breathing fire. Do you think you can teach me real quick if possible?"

Tails tapped his chin and walked to the dragon. "Hm..." the fox hummed. Sonic was confused for a moment, wondering what Tails was doing. Even Spike was a little taken aback as well. But then the fox spoke, "Your scales do seem sharp and hard enough to break through the robots' metal easily with a Spin-Jump. And looking around here, you knowing how to do it could come in handy." Sonic pointed at one of the cannons to demonstrate. Said cannons' existence leaving Spike even more confused than earlier.

"It's easy. Just jump and perform a flip, your scales should take care of the rest once you land on a robot. Just watch us." Tails explained before he and Sonic jumped, flipping into their Spin-Jump formation to show the dragon what he meant. "See?" added Tails once the duo landed, Sonic stretching his arms out and smugly bowing.

Spike muttered, "Here goes..." he jumped and curled his body inward, his scales and fins exposed while his body rotated vertically. However, once he landed he fell on his stomach. The dragon groaned, "Ouch... That felt weird."

Sonic held back a snicker, but Tails walked forward to help Spike up, "It's fine, Spike. It took me a while to figure it out too. I think those cannons up there can help you practice and get us further into the refinery." he observed.

"Alright, but it's all the way up there."

Pointing at a green platform, Sonic jumped on top of it and was suddenly launched into the air by a flame from below it, jumping into the cannon and being shot out of it, landing on a pathway above. The small hedgehog waved down to his friends, moreso telling Spike that it was safe to use at the very least.

The dragon blinked, "Okay then."

Tails and Spike hopped on top of the green surface when it came down and waited for it to launch. Then they jumped into the same cannon and landed on the platform. However, Spike kept rolling on the floor, trying to get his bearings. "Uh oh." said Tails, back on his feet, he and Sonic trying to catch up with the tumbling dragon as he continued rolling down the slope.

"Whaa-" shouted Spike, uncurling once he hit a wall. The drake felt his head rattle and fell on his back. "Aw man, that wasn't fun at all." he rubbed his forehead and grumbled.

"You okay, Spike?" Tails asked.

Spike said, "Yeah, I am. Just a little dizzy." he gagged, "I need to get used to doing that."

Sonic helped the dragon stand and shook his head, wondering if he could actually perform a Spin-Attack. Then again, Tails took a while to learn as well. His mind then trailed to hoping Tails and Knuckles were fine back in his world. The hedgehog smiled, believing those two to be perfectly fine. His absence shouldn't be long anyway.

His eyes were focused upwards, spotting a few more seahorse Badniks coming in their direction. Sonic jumped and bounced right off of it, he uncurled and gave Spike a thumbs up, basically encouraging him to make an attempt.

Inhaling sharply hoping he'd get it right, Spike tried to jump once more and performed a frontflip, slicing through the Aquis thanks to his scales passing through them. The dragon landed perfectly on his feet right as Tails shot another robot down with his arm cannon. "Holy moly. I-I actually did it."

"Not bad at all, Spike. We just have to keep this up." Tails complimented the dragon. He lowered his head and saw a platform below them. "We should probably head back down. Hopefully finding that energy source could be easier from there."

Spike nodded, "Right."

The three jumped down and landed safely on the purple metal flooring that awaited them. "Just how big is this place anyway?" Spike wondered aloud.

"I'm not sure. It's been a long time since I was here." Tails answered. Sonic tapped his chin, believing that their versions of Oil Ocean were different in design.

"Does any of this look familiar to you, Sonic?" Spike asked. Sonic shook his head.

Tails halted their walking for a moment. Right in front of them were the same gray dull Egg Pawns that were in the city. The robots' optics blinked red and they aimed their blasters at the trio. Sonic dashed ahead and jumped on one right as Tails did to another. Spike successfully sliced through one, however when he bounced the dragon accidentally swerved in midair off the platform.

Seeing this, the fox instantly blasted the last one to smithereens with his Energy Ball Blaster and shouted, "Spike!" he and Sonic ran to the edge of the platform, seeing Spike trying to stomp out of the oil. "Don't worry, we'll get you out!" he assured.

"Can you hurry please?!" Spike shouted back worriedly for himself, barely able to move his feet. He tried to stomp again, only barely moving an inch this time.

Tails spun his namesakes and hovered to Spike, grabbing his arms and pulling, trying to yank him out of the oil ocean. "Grr..." grunted the fox, trying his hardest to free him.

Sonic knelt down on the edge, wondering how he could help the two as fast as possible. But his eyes gazed up to the orange sky, seeing a floating blue figure hovering away in the distance. The hedgehog scowled, believing he found the energy source Tails mentioned. He wanted to help Spike, he really did, but whatever happened to the oil made it a lot more difficult to escape from from the looks of it and it'd slow the three of them down even longer if he got stuck. And if Sonic hated one thing, it was being forced to slow down.

Then Sonic looked at the blue object in the sky again and knew what he had to do.

Back with Tails, the fox gritted his teeth, still trying to save Spike. "Come on!" the two of them shouted at the same time, Tails starting to lose energy. Spike could feel the oil pulling him into what was once clearly a clean body of water, but he wasn't ready to see or feel what was inside, that much was certain.

Spike was able to feel his feet in midair, oil still stuck on his toes. "You can do it, Tails!" he moved a leg and tried to shaking off the substance to some avail.

"I'm trying, Spike!" the fox growled.

Then with one hard pull, Tails and Spike were flung back onto the platform, tumbling on their sides. The dragon shook his body and gagged at the oil still on his feet, "Thanks, Tails. Sorry about that..." said Spike, "Rarity were here, she'd gag at the sight of this too." he pointed out to Tails. "I might need to take a longer bath when I get home."

"That oil is a lot thicker than I remember." Tails admitted. "I can usually hop out of it no problem if I fell in. And don't worry about it, you're still not used to this."

Spike stood up, "Well something happened to it." he looked around, realizing something was off, "Wasn't Sonic just here a moment ago? Could've sworn he was." he crossed his arms, looking ahead on the straight path.

Tails stood up and dusted himself off. He could see a hovering blue object in the sky nearing the inside of the refinery. "Oh no..." he muttered, eyes widening.

"What's up?"

"Sonic ran off on his own for a reason. It's the energy source! Come on, we have to catch up quickly!" Tails said, grabbing Spike's wrist and flying as fast as he could along the path. "I should've known he'd run off like that again."

"Wha-! Tails!"

* * *

Sonic ran with his arms at his sides, hoping to meet up with what he saw mere moments ago. There in the orange sky, he saw him. It was something he didn't expect to see, but at the same time, he didn't seem so surprised.

The flying object was none other than Metal Sonic, a lot taller and sleeker looking than he remembered. And Metal seemed to notice him immediately, evident by him dashing towards Sonic, a yellow electric aura covering him as he spun his body around like a torpedo towards his organic rival.

Sonic smirked and flipped, driving his feet onto the back of Metal's head, catching him off guard. Sonic took the moment to bounce onto a higher pathway to escape the robot. Metal shook his head and beeped, chasing after his opponent.

Metal Sonic boosted towards Sonic with that same yellow aura, hoping to knock him down. The hedgehog spun his legs in a circular motion, hands by his sides as he tried to accelerate faster than the robot. He knew Metal was designed to keep up with him, and he had no idea what this version of him could do compared to the one from his world. So for now, he decided to play this fight carefully until he fully knew what he was up against.

Turning his head, Sonic noticed Metal charge something in his turbine chest, a bright yellow light engulfing it. The hedgehog gritted his teeth and rolled underneath the beam Metal Sonic shot out, narrowly avoiding the volts he would've received.

Jumping back up, Sonic continued his sprint ahead of Metal, realizing that the path he was on could lap around the entire refinery. It was as if Eggman planned for this encounter. The blue blur sighed at the idea. Metal dashed forward like a torpedo, which Sonic predicted and jumped on him once the robot's energy wore off, causing the robot to tumblr and smoke before getting his bearings.

Deciding to change things up, Metal Sonic boosted near some pipes near and above the path. His momentum broke them, causing the metal cylinders to come crashing towards Sonic. The hedgehog's eyes widened and he did his best to dodge them. He somersaulted over one and slid underneath another. However, as a result of Metal destroying the pipes, oil began to leak out.

Realizing the opportunity he gained, Metal threw an electric spark down on the black liquid. Sonic gulped, watching as the oil burst into flames in front of him. The hero from another dimension leaped, but this left him vulnerable, and Metal took the moment to kick him directly in the stomach, launching him back onto the cold floor. Sonic rolled on his sides before gaining a second wind and went back to running.

This Metal Sonic was different. He seemed to have more abilities, most likely an upgrade from his old nemesis at this point. And then there was that purple cubes and red aura, the same one that was covering Chaos when he, Tails and Spike fought him. Something odd was going on here, and Sonic intended to find out what it was.

Sonic rubbed his now sore head while getting to a knee, feeling something underneath his red shoes. Raising his foot, he noticed oil on it. The alternate hero sighed and stuck his tongue out, knowing that whatever Metal did, it's gonna make running more difficult. Metal then threw more electric orbs in Sonic's direction. The hedgehog gulped and made a run for it, trying not to get burned alive.

When Sonic jumped, the robot tried charging after him again, driving his knee directly into Sonic's stomach. The blue blur was sent tumbling back onto ground level deeper into the factory as a result. He could smell smoke from where he was at and coughed. The refinery seemed just as bad as the one back home.

Sonic spun his body around and drove a foot onto Metal's back when he came towards the hedgehog, stomping on the robot Sonic as hard as he could. Sonic then backflipped and dropped himself, continuing his run to get a headstart on his old rival.

Metal Sonic boosted ahead and shot a beam at Sonic, the blue hero swiftly dodging it by running faster long enough to wear down Metal's energy. The hero saw Metal fly towards him, smoke slightly covering him. Sonic took the moment to bounce off the blue robot and marched on as though nothing happened.

Sonic watched as Metal Sonic hovered over him, his body covered in electricity still. The robot beeped as his red optics glared over the smaller hedgehog, **"TARGET: SONIC THE HEDGEHOG. OBJECTIVE: ELIMINATE."**

"Sonic!"

The sound of Tails' voice got Sonic's attention, seeing him fly as fast as he could with Spike doing his best to hang onto his neck. "I thought we agreed to stick together? You have to stop running off like that without a warning." the fox scolded.

Sonic merely tapped his foot in annoyance. He pointed to the robot Sonic charging something. Spike gulped, "Okay, what the heck is that thing supposed to be?!"

"Metal Sonic?" Tails gasped. "What is he doing here?"

Metal looked at the newcomers, **"TARGETS: TAILS THE FOX AND SPIKE THE DRAGON. SECONDARY OBJECTIVE AQUIRED. CONTINUE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE AS PLANNED. YOU ALL SHALL PERISH."**

Spike touched the floor and said, "That doesn't sound good. I'm surprised he knew who I was."

"No it doesn't sound good, Spike. Metal was built to counter Sonic in every way, especially speed," Tails replied, "I don't know what he has planned this time however or what Eggman did to him now." the two-tailed fox raised his head and spotted a giant grey machine that towered over everything in the room, with wires connected to two glass pods. In the center of the machine was an outline shaped like Metal Sonic's body, "...Of course."

Sonic gazed at the fox curiously, basically gesturing Tails to explain, "The Oil Ocean Refinery is also acting as a generator for Metal Sonic. That's where most of the oil is being sourced to here. But why would Metal need a generator the size of a refinery?"

Metal flew and positioned himself into the outline, his eyes glowing blood red as his body glowed. The pods opened up, revealing miniature silver robot Sonics. "Didn't see that coming." Spike admitted, "They look pretty tiny though."

"Silver Sonics? Eggman hasn't used this model in years. Not since the original Death Egg was built." Tails pointed out. He activated his arm cannon and tried to shoot at the generator, but the energy blast merely bounced off of it thanks to the forcefield Metal Sonic activated. Said forcefield looked like a purple diamond covering Metal Sonic, leaving him safe from any attack the team could throw at him. And that presented a problem.

Spike jumped and hopped up, trying to burn Metal Sonic and slash him with his claws, but that didn't work either. He landed and was jabbed by a Silver Sonic, hitting his cheek. "Ow!" he shouted. The dragon looked up, seeing Metal's midsection glow again, "Something tells me Metal Sonic is doing something!" he warned his friends. The young drake opened his palm and slashed at a Silver Sonic, doing his best to keep the tiny robots off of him and the others.

Metal shot out a homing sphere at the trio. Sonic zipped to the side while Tails pushed himself and Spike to safety before it could hit them, the projectile leaving sparks on the floor. "Thanks for the save again, Tails." he said. "Any idea on how to destroy the generator? It looks like nothing could reach it."

"I dunno. Metal Sonic was upgraded to have a forcefield capable fo withstanding even Shadow's Chaos Spear. There has to be a way to break through it!" Tails shouted.

Sonic tapped his foot and backed off from another tiny robot right as Metal shot out another projectile. Something about this seemed familiar. Metal Sonic, the generator, the tiny Silver Sonics. It all came back to him. The hedgehog knew exactly what to do. He gestured to Tails and Spike to demonstrate what he was thinking, hoping that his hunch from experience was correct.

The hedgehog charged a Spin-Dash, prompting a Silver Sonic to mirror his actions to counter. Then the two collided, causing the Silver Sonic to bounce off of Sonic and the wall, landing directly in the generator, a white flash seen as Metal was damaged.

"Of course. Metal or Eggman couldn't have predicted that." Tails said after seeing the tactic. "Nice thinking, Sonic! Once we damage it enough, the generator should cause a large enough explosion to damage the refinery for good too!"

Spike crouched, "Okay then." he sprinted forward and rolled, his back fins being strong enough to bounce a robot around the room, slicing through a pipe and smashing into the generator. The dragon uncurled and held his stomach, "I-I did it..."

"Nice job, Spike!" Tails complimented, "We just have to keep this up."

Metal Sonic shot out a laser directly upon the team after sending out more Silver Sonics. The drake's eyes widened when he saw that Sonic and Tails were occupied and were right near a puddle of oil, "No!" he dived forward and pushed Tails out of the way, getting Sonic's attention fast enough to move away from the giant purple beam coming towards them and the imminent burst of flames that followed with the heat of the beam hitting the flammable liquid. The fox coughed, caught off guard by the sudden save and the smoke, and he rolled on his stomach, "Are you two alright?" he asked his allies.

"Yeah, we're fine, Spike. Thanks for that." Tails replied with Sonic giving a thumbs up. "Look out!" the fox suddenly stood up and shot his arm cannon at a missile launched by a Silver Sonic, the collision blowing the projectile up. The tiny robot Sonic began charging a Spin-Dash, which prompted Tails to follow. The two of them clashed, with the Silver Sonic bouncing around. "That one isn't moving correctly." he pointed out, ready to time a jump.

However, Spike jumped up instead and flipped, successfully curling into a ball like Sonic and Tails could and clashing with the Silver Sonic, re-aiming its trajectory back into the generator, another white flash seen. The purple dragon landed and smiled, "It actually worked..." he ducked when another Silver Sonic tried to jab him.

Sonic came in and kicked the tiny robot aside, watching the robot slide on the oil-filled floor, creating sparks that created more flames. Tails blinked and said, "We have to hurry and finish this before this entire place explodes. With us in it!"

"Right!" Spike said with Sonic nodding in agreement.

Oil continued to drop from the broken pipes as the trio continued their efforts to stop Metal Sonic, **"OBJECTIVE STILL ACTIVE: YOU THREE SHALL NOT ESCAPE ALIVE."**

"Oh yeah? How about we show him that we can?" Tails mocked the robot version of Sonic. Sonic punched his palm with his knuckles in a threatening manner. Spike folded his arms. More Silver Sonics emerged from the pods, the heroes charging their own Spin-Dashes as a result of this. The trio bounced off of the Silver Sonics and each one of them hit the generator. The machine began to explode and Metal Sonic fell out of it, umoving.

Sonic smirked, deciding to cap things off with a roundhouse kick, causing the now inactive Metal Sonic to explode in a pile of red cubes. The hedgehog spun his body around and landed perfectly on his feet, dusting off his gloved hands proudly. The three noticed that Metal vanished the same as Chaos, but chose not to dwell on that for the moment.

Tails said after looking around, "As much as I want to celebrate. All the oil and explosions is really making me nervous."

"Same here!" agreed Spike.

Sonic grabbed both of their wrists and began running as fast as he could to where the Tornado was, Tails guiding him all the while. The hedgehog outran all the explosions, flames and oil traps planted all over the place. "Almost there, Sonic!" Spike screamed.

The three finally made it to the red biplane on the dock of the Oil Ocean Refinery. Tails hopped onto the pilot's seat, giving Spike a boost onto the backseat while Sonic jumped on the wings. Tails turned on the ignition, but it wasn't turning on, "What the heck is going on, Tails?!" Spike asked his friend, "Those flames are coming closer!"

"I'm trying to turn it on, Spike!" Tails shouted back, hearing a few sputters and the propellor spin, "Thank goodness! Now let's get out of here! That's one spot down!" Sonic and Spike cheered (the former silently of course) with the fox, grateful for their victory.

And so the Tornado flew away, leaving the Oil Ocean up in smoke, the entire refinery covered in flames and smog, seemingly unusable for a long while.


	7. Mystic Jungle: Luminous Forest

Everyone was practically accounted for in the Resistance's base except for the soldiers currently abroad on missions. Sonic and Rainbow Dash stepped into the room, having gotten a message from Knuckles and Amy about something. The hedgehog waved, "What's going on? Am I needed for a mission again?"

Amy nodded, "Yeah. Silver and Twilight reported that the monster you fought is in Mystic Jungle guarding one of Eggman's old labs and we aren't able to contact back. We think they need backup."

Sonic smirked, "Finally. I've been meanin' to get payback for last time we met."

"That creep in the mask? Oh yeah, we'll go and kick his sorry flank together!" shouted Rainbow Dash, wanting to give that villain a piece of her mind as soon as possible.

Raising his hands, Knuckles said, "Sorry, Dash. But I think you should sit this one out."

Rainbow replied, "What? Why?! I can totally handle this!"

"I'm with Knuckles on this one, Rainbow." Sonic stated in agreement with the echidna, "We need you here just in case something goes wrong, even though I don't intend for that to happen. Can't have all of our best fighters and fastest soldiers taken out in the worst case scenario at once if you catch my drift."

The cyan pegasus understood, even though she hated being left on the sidelines. "I can't believe you're benching me." she huffed, folding her hooves and pouting.

Applejack rolled her eyes, "Quit actin' like a foal, Rainbow Dash. This isn't about you."

"This is war, Applejack! Shouldn't we all be out there kicking butt at the same time just to get it over with?" Rainbow responded.

Knuckles put his hands behind his back and shook his head, "Not at all. The point is to come up with the best strategy our enemies cannot counter in order to gain the upper hand. Eggman took over the world, Rainbow. This isn't like last time we met where we just jumped into a fight. Eggman has the advantage and it's up to us to make a sound plan with little consequences on our end. We can't just send out everyone, after all, that monster defeated Sonic once before."

Rainbow Dash spat, "Exactly! Whose to say that won't happen again?"

Sonic placed his hands on his hips and responded, "Like I said before, I don't plan on letting it happen again. I underestimated that guy last time, so it's about time I picked up my own slack."

"No offense, Sonic. But how do you intend to defeat him this time?" Rarity wondered.

Pinkie chimed in, "Yeah! He seemed super duper strong and even caught Rainbow Dash off guard! And she's the fastest pony we know."

Sonic shrugged, "I feel stronger this time. More prepared. Last time I was just expecting Egghead and a few robots, not that creep and my old foes joining forces. This time it looks like it's just him, so this should be way easier than before."

"You say that with a lot of confidence." Rarity said.

"I am confident. I'm not giving Eggman the satisfaction of breaking me physically and mentally. He tried to torture me, and it didn't work. His new minion kicked my butt? I'm still breathing and running. We already beat Zavok and Sombra, so that's less of the Eggman Empire to worry about. Eggman started a war, and we're going to end it the way we always do, and this new guy isn't going to stop me from making that happen." Sonic elaborated with a confident smile.

"Speaking if Zavok and Sombra. Didn't Sombra vanish too?" Amy questioned.

Sonic nodded, "Yeah. I'm guessing whatever the source of that strange noise is, it's warping them back to where they came from when we kick their butts."

"We heard it when that portal brought us here, so ya may be right." said Applejack.

Espio responded, "Whatever that masked being is, he definitely has a role in all of this confusion. Perhaps we'll gain more answers out on the frontlines with Silver and Twilight."

"Call it a detective's intuition." Vector added.

"Do you think so?" Fluttershy asked.

Charmy hovered in front of the meek pegasus' face, making her squeak in surprise, "Yep! That's the only explanation we have."

Sonic folded his arms, "The Chaotix are the best detectives we know, so they might be onto something here at least."

Knuckles tapped his chin, "So Sonic. Are you bringing anyone along or is this a solo mission for you? We already have soldiers at the forest prepping defenses."

"I'll let Buddy sit this one out at least. He could use a break and I don't want him getting hurt fighting whatever that person is. But I could also use some assistance just in case things get messy against him..." said Sonic mostly to himself, "Yo, Rarity. AJ. Are the two of you up for a quick mission?" he asked the unicorn and earth pony.

Applejack replied, "Yep."

"Of course I'd help in anyway. You can count on us." Rarity added.

Sonic chuckled, "Great. We'll head out in a few."

"How come they get to go but I can't?!" spat Rainbow Dash.

Espio folded his arms, "It as a decision by the commander, Rainbow Dash. Follow those orders."

The cyan pegasus rolled her eyes, "Fine..."

Pinkie wrapped a hoof around Rainbow's shoulder, "Aw, it won't be so bad, Dashie! We can talk to them and it'll be like we're really there. Doesn't that sound fun?"

"Pinkie, this isn't a game." Amy lightly chided, "Don't go screaming into their ears like you did at the Death Egg, okay?"

"Okie dokie!"

Sonic cracked his knuckles, "You two ready?" he grabbed Rarity and Applejack's hooves, "Hang on tight!"

"Hold on, what're ya doin-"

**ZOOM!**

A burst of blue wind covered the entire room, catching the Resistance off guard. Knuckles griped, "I wish he'd warn us when he does that, it can get real grating at times."

* * *

"My mane! Sonic, slow down please!"

Sonic heard Rarity's pleas and halted his run, stopping within a grassy field, letting go of the ponies. The unicorn's mane was a mess. Applejack spoke up for a moment, "It's about darn time ya stopped fer a second. Ah was gettin' tired of hearin' her whining."

Rarity touched her mane before she responded, "I was not whining, darling. I am merely trying to keep my presentable."

Sonic put his hands on his hips and raised an eye ridge, "Seriously, Rarity? We're about to fight for our lives and you're out here worrying about your mane?"

Rainbow groaned from the communicators, "She's always like that, Sonic."

"Do not think I can't hear you Rainbow Dash. A mare such as myself takes pride in her appearance after all." Rarity replied back.

"When it comes to a war like this, appearances don't matter, Rarity. Just... forget about it so we can get a move on." Knuckles scolded.

Tapping his foot impatiently, Sonic said, "Yeah, seriously. For all we know, more of Eggman's scrap piles he calls robots could be on their way here. We have to juice now."

Rarity adjusted her mane a bit more, "Give me a second."

Applejack planted a hoof onto her face, "Fer cryin' out loud!"

"Alright, let's wrap this up, Rarity. Our friends are in danger." Sonic dismissed. He grabbed her and Applejack's hooves and continued running once more.

* * *

The three found themselves in a jungle, filled with neon lights and ancient architecture. Sonic slowed his running, allowing the Equestrians a moment to relax. The unicorn dusted her body off, "You could warn us when you do that." she huffed.

Sonic raised an eye ridge, "I kinda did. You're kinda slowin' us down so I had to speed us up." he put a finger to his ear, "Alright, I'm at the Mystic Jungle. Any updates?"

_"Um, not yet. They're still silent. I hope they're okay..."_ Fluttershy responded first.

Sonic said, "They're going to be, Fluttershy. I promise."

_"Pinkie Promise?"_ Pinkie chimed in.

"Yeah, I Pinkie Promise." Sonic replied.

_"Wait! You have to do the whole thing-"_

Rainbow groaned, _"Pinkie, not now!"_

_"Oops! Sorry, Sonic! We'll talk about it when you come back!"_ the hedgehog rolled his eyes with a smile.

Vector added, _"What is she talkin' about?"_

"Nothin' important fer now at least." Applejack said, getting a view of the Mystic Jungle, "Wow-ee. This place sure looks lively. Ya sure this is where Eggman put a lab in?"

Knuckles said, _"We're sure Applejack. These ruins were left untouched until six months ago, when he started building here beyond his secret laboratory."_

Rarity tapped her chin as she admired the architecture and buildings in the distance, "With all these neon lights, it's reminding me of Las Pegasus. I did not think the doctor to have such a design choice for a conquered land."

With a shrug, Sonic said, "Eggman's kinda had a fascination with casinos, so I'm honestly not too surprised to find one here. Hopefully we don't have to go through the more... creative parts of it cause I'm not sure how you would handle it."

"What do you mean?"

"Basically, these places tend to be filled with lifesize pinball machines, where my friends or me end up being the pinball. It can get a little disorienting, like at the Casino Park. Not to mention the slot machines I can jump into or the bingo rails." Sonic explained, "These zones can get pretty hectic."

Rarity blinked, "How in Equestria do you manage it? I'm getting sick just thinking about it."

Sonic spoke, "It's nothing I haven't done before." he gazed ahead, seeing some robots, "Heh heh. Guess Egghead did have security in this area after all." he tapped his foot, "Are you two ready?" he asked politely this time.

Rarity smirked, "Why yes I am."

"Oh brother..." bemoaned Applejack.

And so, Sonic grabbed their hooves and bolted forward, boosting through the Egg Pawns with ease. Once they were cleared, the hedgehog let them go, finding themselves on a pathway that led to three rotating platforms connected by a chain. "Is that supposed to be there?" asked Applejack.

Sonic nodded, "Yeah. My world is filled with stuff like this. If you want, I can give you two a quick boost to jump easier." he offered.

_"What is it?"_ Rouge asked.

"Just some rotatin' platforms." Applejack said. She squinted her eyes to look beyond it, "And some more of those annoyin' robots. Ah swear I'm already gettin' tired of seein' them."

Espio said, _"Well push those thoughts aside because there is a lot more outside of this region."_

Sonic smiled, "We know, Espio. I'm sure you two can handle some more bot smashin' right?" the ponies nodded, "Figured as much." he turned off the comms, "So, you want me to help you over there or not?" he offered again.

Rarity waved a hoof, "Thank you for the offer Sonic, but I do believe we can make this jump."

"Ah'm with Rarity. Just bring us along fer the runnin'," Applejack agreed.

The hedgehog replied, "Alright then. Just follow my lead!"

The blue blur jumped on a platform, awaiting the Equestrians to follow him. He tapped his foot, "Just be careful." Sonic pointed down, "I really don't feel like taking the lower and slower path."

Applejack lowered her posture and made a leap, her hooves clinging onto the edge of the platform as it moved. Once she pushed herself up she exhaled in relief. "Alright, Rarity. Ya'll just have to jump." the farmpony eased her friend.

Rarity gulped, hoping that she could make it. "Um... Perhaps this wasn't the wisest idea." she saw a platform coming in from its circular rotation and then jumped, landing stomach first on the same platform as Sonic. The hedgehog helping her up, "Why thank you, Sonic."

"No problem." Sonic replied, "Just be ready for it again." he smirked, "Then it's time for action."

And so, the three jumped onto the next pathway. "We're detecting some Egg Pawns heading in your direction." Amy said.

Sonic looked ahead and saw some grey robots and said, "Yep. We see 'em." he glanced to the unicorn, "How about some magic to stall these tin cans, Rarity?"

Rarity said, "Of course."

Suddenly, the robots tried to shoot but found themselves unable to move any part of their bodies. Applejack ran ahead first and used her hindlegs to kick one of the round robots so they hit the floor. Sonic jumped and performed a Spin-Jump, bursting right through the second robot before it could even react to his presence. The speedy hedgehog rolled through a third, satisfied with the mess.

_"Um, not to interrupt you. But there are more robots I think."_ Fluttershy warned the group.

Applejack's ear twitched, hearing some buzzing, "Yep. We hear 'em Fluttershy."

Sonic raised his head and saw some grey painted bee shaped robots heading towards them from the sky and Motobugs rolling on the ground. "Buzz Bombers. This should be a piece of cake like always." he cracked his knuckles. He performed a Homing Attack and bounced off one of the bee robots, placing his palm on one of their heads. He noticed a yellow stinger shot heading towards him and backflipped, kicking one of the other robots towards it, allowing it to take a hit. "Thanks for that." he said to the scrap.

The hedgehog curled into a ball and smashed another Buzz Bomber, uncurling at the last second to roundhouse-kick it. He looked down, seeing Applejack and Rarity fend off the Motobug assault. "Heh. I think they got that covered."

Applejack raised a hindleg and gave one of the Motobugs one of the hardest kicks she's given in a long while. Another dash towards the two Equestrians. Rarity created a barrier fast enough so that the robot crashed into it without a chance to react, breaking apart upon making contact. The farmpony said, "Nice save there, Rarity."

Rarity gave her friend an assuring nod and looked around, spotting more Motobugs charging in their direction. Sonic landed in front of the ponies and boosted right through them, ending things with a Spin-Dash. The hedgehog uncurled and smiled, "These bots are gettin' easier to break by the minute."

"Perhaps for you." the unicorn muttered.

Sonic said, "Anyway, we should move on. Silver and Twilight might need some help sooner rather than later." he extended his arms and wrapped them around the ponies' barrels, boosting through the straightaway in hopes of making up lost time.

**"Woohoo!"**

The hedgehog shouted as loud as he could, bursting right through the onslaught of Egg Pawns that dared to stand in his way. Sonic knew he could handle them no problem and just continued running. He couldn't afford to goof off. Not until he faced the guy who done him in all those months ago.

"Whoa, nelly!" Applejack gasped, watching the robots explode as they zipped past them, the three of them finding himself on a halfpipe surrounded by more robots.

Eventually, Sonic got closer to a ramp. However, Amy shouted something to them. _"Hold on! We're detecting a large surge of life energy close to your location!"_

Sonic smirked, "It's probably that masked creep. No problem. I think the three of us can handle it."

_"That's not what she meant Sonic."_ Fluttershy chimed in.

The hedgehog raised a brow, "Then what is it?"

_"Whatever it is, it's super duper huge!"_ described Pinkie.

Sonic boosted off a ramp, his pupils shrinking at the sight of a giant snake leaping out of the ground and hissing at them. "Oh my Celestia!" Rarity shouted. The hedgehog acted quickly and threw the two ponies aside to safety, them hitting the ground. "Ow... Again, Sonic. Could you please warn us?"

Sonic said, "Sorry for trying to save your skin!" he shouted back, running on the snake's back. The snake curled its body around and made a loop, one which Sonic ran on.

"What in tarnation got is so upset anyway?" Applejack asked.

Rouge chimed in, _"The tremors and loud noises in the immediate area. It seems those were what set off the snake."_

Rarity sighed, "Just our luck."

The snake bumped its body and launched Sonic, opening its mouth and devouring him. "SONIC!" the girls shouted, seeing Sonic seemingly get swallowed whole.

Applejack growled and tried leaping on the reptile's body in hopes of kicking the creature in the chin. It worked and its head recoiled in pain. The farmpony said, "Now spit out our friend there before I rough ya up some more!"

"Applejack, I do not think threatening it would work." Rarity said.

The snake roared, then jolted in pain. "Ugh. Seriously? Do you know that superfast blue hedgehogs are bad for your health?" mumbled Sonic, Spin-Dashing his way out of the snake by bouncing around in its body. The creature's head reared back and forth as random bumps appeared on its body before vanishing and appearing in another spot.

"...Sonic?" Rarity called out.

With one last bump, the snake collapsed and rolling out of its mouth was Sonic, who gagged along with the unicorn. "Yeesh. The last thing I wanted was to be someone's dinner." he shook his body in an attempt to get any spit off. The unicorn already created a forcefield with her magic to shield herself from the germs.

_"Sonic, are you okay?"_ Amy wondered.

Sonic said, "Yep. Just had a little inside experience."

_"What does that mean?"_ Pinkie asked.

_"You don't want to know, Pinkie."_ Rainbow Dash muttered, _"Now get your flanks to that masked creep so you can kick his butt."_

Sonic whispered inaudibly, "Whatever, bossy pants." he faced the two ponies, "You girls ready? We're close to the lab."

"What are we gonna do when we find 'em?" Applejack asked.

The hedgehog replied, "Simple. First we gotta distract this guy long enough for Silver and Twilight to get a breather. I've faced this guy once before and he was tough. Then we figure out just how the heck he's as strong as he is. Maybe he'll go into one of those villainous monologues as a bonus too."

_"It's a better plan than rushing in at least."_ Knuckles admitted.

"Told ya I learned from the Lost Hex. Trust me, that's something I don't want to repeat." Sonic responded. "Now come on, we gotta juice! We might be going dark as a heads up, by the way." he told the girls, grabbing their hooves and bolting off deeper into the jungle to the energy source.

"Good luck, you three." Knuckles said.

* * *

The masked being was floating across Silver and Twilight. The hedgehog was using his telekinesis to leviate, evident by the glowing teal aura covering his body. The villain folded his arms and spoke, _"This wasn't a part of my agenda, but I'm always happy to crush a few heroes. It keeps the rabble in line. Shows them that there is no hope."_ he declared.

Silver shouted, "Does anyone but you honestly believe your lies?!"

Flying forward, the being tried to punch Silver, but his body was held back by Twilight's magic. The being's head turned to them, _"Please. As if this makes a difference." _

"H-Huh?!" Twilight mumbled in surprise, taken aback by the villain's speed as he disappeared ane reappeared next to her. "You teleported? How?!" she wondered.

_"I am capable of many things, you pathetic pony."_ the masked rogue announced, raising his fist so that he uppercutted Twilight in the jaw. The alicorn growled and flipped, shooting a beam of magic at the villain, making him reel back as smoke appeared on his chest, seemingly burned for the moment.

Silver dashed and elbowed the villain, causing something to fall off his body unknown to them. "I won't let you hurt my friends." the time-traveling hedgehog declared as the stranger got his bearings. "Your reign of terror upon the innocent ends here! I will save the future!"

_"Please. That blue moron and the two-tailed freak you call heroes couldn't even touch me."_ the stranger boasted proudly, _"There is no future for you or anyone. You've proven that by being incompetent enough to let it happen."_ he shot a beam at Silver, knocking him into a wall then kicked him before he could react. Twilight used her magic to grab him before anymore damage could be done.

"That's not true!" Twilight shouted, blasting the villain back with a beam of magic. "Why are you doing this?"

The villain scoffed and clenched a fist, _"I want to show you all just how weak you truly are. And that starts by crushing any fraction of hope you wield."_ he declared smugly. He opened his palm and shot at Twilight, causing the alicorn to be blasted back and falling to the ground.

Silver kicked the villain, but the masked being pushed him back with ease. When he shook the cobwebs out of his head, he said, "As long as we're standing, our hope will never die."

Twilight nodded weakly as she stood up, "Exactly."

_"Hmph. Foolishly naive as expected."_ the being clenched a fist and reared it back, _"But a word of advice. Seeing is believing."_ he dashed downwards in an attempt to hit the two. However, a blue blur came down and smacked the being aside.

Sonic uncurled and stood in front of Twilight and Silver, Applejack and Rarity running next to them. "Time to tag out you two, I'll take things from here."

The masked being chuckled, _"Well, look who's back from the dead. The little blue savior."_ he adjusted his mask, _"But what's that I smell? You reek of fear. Glad to see I left an impression."_

Sonic sniffed his armpits, Rarity and Applejack raising a brow at his actions. The ponies helped their friends stand while Sonic spoke to the villain floating near them. The hedgehog smugly smirked and claimed aloud, "Oh that's not fear. We kinda had to run our way over here. And you actually haven't left an impression. I don't know anything about you, not even your name!"

_"You may call me Infinite. In the brief moments that remain for your pathetic existence."_ the villain, Infinite, revealed.

The hedgehog clapped, "Ah, see Infinite? Now we're getting to know one another! Mind if I add to this little bonding exercise?"

"Sonic, what in tarnation are ya doin'?" Applejack quietly asked through gritted teeth.

"I know what I'm doing, AJ. Just get Twilight and Silver to safety."

The blue blur cleared his throat, "Anyway, I'm gonna ask a few more questions if that's alright with you. What's your favorite color? Do you have a favorite video game? What's the source of your power? You can skip the first two questions if you like." he added under his breath.

Infinite replied, _"The source of my power is none of your concern."_

"Aw, but you just have to share that! I insist!" Sonic fake whined, running towards Infinite.

_"Your insistence is futile, rodent!"_

Suddenly, Infinite created a bright red aura that caused Sonic, Silver, Twilight, Applejack and Rarity to float. "Whoa! Wah!" Sonic gasped, flailing his arms to get his bearings.

Twilight shouted, "Sonic! What's happening?!"

"I have no idea!"

Then, Infinite shot a beam directly at the five, launching them all across the jungle. Their screams fading as they flew farther away from one another.

* * *

Silver, Applejack and Rarity landed on a patch of grass, their bodies tumbling before stopping. The hedgehog held his head and looked at the unicorn and earth pony, "Are you two okay?" he knelt down to see if there were any bruises on them. He was surprised to find nothing.

Applejack coughed, "A little roughed up from the fall, but it ain't nothin' I can't handle, Silver."

"Oh, my mane and fur are all covered in dirt and grass!" Rarity gasped, wiping her body off with a hoof. "Egh. I'm all sweaty too."

"Really?" Silver asked in a deadpan tone.

"She's fine. Ya'll feelin' alright? Yer looking mighty tired." Applejack responded while placing her stetson over her head.

Silver sighed, "I'm still a little drained from using my power against Infinite, but I should be well enough to help find Sonic and Twilight wherever they're at."

"What the hay did that guy do anyway?" Applejack wondered.

The time-traveler rubbed his nose and said, "I don't know, but whatever's giving him his power, it's strong enough to counter my telekinesis and Twilight's magic at the same time."

"We have to find out why that is." Rarity replied. "Sonic and Twilight could be out there alone with him."

Applejack's ear twitched as a voice echoed in her and the others' ears, _"The communicators are back online? Good. Applejack, Rarity, what happened?"_ asked Amy. "Are Silver and Twilight safe?"

Silver said, "We're fine, Amy. We got split up from Sonic and Twilight though."

_"Then find them!"_ Rainbow Dash ordered.

The silver hedgehog replied, "I would, but Infinite wore me out during our fight. I need a few minutes before I can fly and bring Rarity and Applejack too. My powers aren't limitless, Rainbow."

_"This is why I should've gone. I would've found them in ten seconds."_ the pegasus mumbled.

Applejack sighed, "We're not goin' over this again, Rainbow Dash. Quit being stubborn."

Knuckles chimed in, _"That's enough, Rainbow. Who's Infinite, Silver? Is it the masked psycho working with Eggman?"_

Rarity nodded, "Indeed. We still don't know what makes him as strong as he is."

_"We can figure that out when you're all back at HQ."_ Espio decided,

Silver said, "What about Sonic and Twilight?"

_"If you intend to do that, just be careful."_ Knuckles warned.

"We gotta find 'em first. Ya'll think you can use your teleki-whatzit?" Applejack asked.

"Telekinesis." Silver corrected, "And I don't know. Rarity, can you use your magic?"

"I can try." Rarity offered. "Though I do not know my way around here."

"So we're just sittin' ducks?" Applejack grunted. "Great."

Silver raised a finger, "Not quite. We can probably help some of the soldiers here. We should go look for them."

"Soldiers?" Applejack inquired. "just how big is this?"

"Big enough to assemble an army." Silver said, "I came back in time to warn everyone and it still wasn't enough..."

"Wait. Yer a time traveller?" Applejack wondered.

The silver hedgehog replied, "Yeah. I only came back when the future is at stake though. I just wish I did a better job of it. I didn't have a lot to go by."

"Oh I remember when Twilight mentioned her endeavors with that." Rarity began to say, "You're only trying your best, Silver. It's nice that you're willing to come back to help at all."

"I guess, but is it enough? First the Ifrit, then the Time Eater, now Infinite and Eggman... Some protector I am, huh? Maybe Infinite was right about me." Silver inquired, annoyed at himself for not preventing a future disaster again.

Applejack stomped a hoof, "Alright, that's enough. Yer just startin' to speak nonsense. I'm not gonna sit here and let you brood over something you had no control over."

Silver sighed, "That's the thing, Applejack. I did have control over this. I'm from the future! But sometimes it feels like my efforts are for nothing, you know? Like I'm overall useless."

"Did you know exactly what would happen in this time?" Rarity asked.

"Well, no, but-"

"No buts, Silver." Rarity waved a hoof at that, "You didn't have enough to go by to fully prevent it, but the fact that you came back anyway and decided to help proves that you're not a burden. Nopony should ever call themselves useless."

The future hedgehog scratched his head, "How do you have that much confidence in me anyway? We just met."

Applejack added, "No one's said a bad thing about ya in the time we were here. Sonic trusts ya, and that gives us a reason to do the same. Ya'll are startin' to act like Twilight when we first met her."

"And I must say your unique powers are fascinating. Perhaps you can teach Twilight and I a few things?" Rarity offered.

"Uh, maybe. If pony magic or whatever works like that... But to hear that you trust me... It honestly makes me feel better. I felt guilty since not only was this something I came back to stop, but it also meant I was unable to stop your world from getting involved." Silver revealed, "I just thought that you wouldn't trust me..."

Applejack said, "You gave us no reason to not trust ya. We ain't mad at ya, Silver."

The silver hedgehog smiled, "Thanks. I-I needed to hear that, I guess. I promise I'll do my best. For your world of course. To make up for my mistakes."

"You already are trying your best." Rarity said with a grin.

* * *

Twilight flapped her wings and wrapped a hoof around Sonic's left hand, the hedgehog gripping her limb for safety as they descended towards the looping path above the burning jungle. Sonic gave the alicorn a thumbs up, "Thanks for the save, Twi."

"You're welcome, Sonic." Twilight replied, keeping flight for the moment. However, a barrage of red cubes appeared out of nowhere, hitting the alicorn directly in the face. "Ah!" this caused her to stop flapping her wings and collapse.

"Wah-!" screamed Sonic, the two of them dropping on the pathway below them. "Twilight!" the hedgehog shouted, seeing the alicorn breathing heavily and curled up. "Breathe, Twi! Breathe!" he told her as he knelt down. Twilight's pupils shrank to the size of pinpricks and continued panting, seemingly unable to hear Sonic.

Infinite began to float down, arms folded, _"It seems I was right. The mind and body of a hero are truly fragile."_

Sonic growled, "What did you do to her?!"

_"That I cannot reveal."_ Infinite said, _"Just be glad that her life hasn't ceased just yet."_

Sonic jumped and kicked Infinite in the chest. The hedgehog dropped down and shouted, "That's it!"

"S-Sonic?"

"Twi?" Sonic called out and ran to the princess, "What happened?"

The alicorn staggered to her hooves and inhaled, "I-I don't know. It felt like I was hit with every form of offensive magic at once. I can't explain it... But it felt so real..." she murmured.

Sonic sighed in relief, "That doesn't sound good." he turned around, "You have a lot to answer for Infinite."

_"As if I care. Just try to take me down, you filthy rat."_ Infinite ordered.

"What is it with you bad guys thinking I'm a rat? I'm a hedgehog! Is it that hard to tell?" Sonic wondered, rubbing one of his spines.

"Is now really a good time for joking?" Twilight asked.

Sonic smirked, "Someone's gotta show levity to this masked moron."

Infinite replied, _"Those statements you call jokes aren't humorous. They just show just how childish you truly are."_

The hedgehog started running towards Infinite, with Twilight flying right behind him. "It doesn't mean a lot coming from you, mister tall, dark and brooding. Seriously, you give Shadow a run for his money in that department."

_"Ah yes, the black hedgehog. I had forgotten about him for a mere moment."_ Infinite stated.

Sonic leaped and missed Infinite, "Why is Shadow on your side?"

_"That would spoil the surprise."_ Infinite said.

After saying that, Twilight shot the masked villain with a beam of magic, making him stagger back. Sonic put his arms behind his back and boosted, spotting some red cubes materializing from thin air. "What the heck is that?!"

Unfortunately, he ran into the cubes, suddenly finding his vision tinted red and lasers appearing on the path he was running. "Whoa, what did that creep do?" he wondered, moving left and right to avoid the lasers that dared stand in his way. He wasn't even sure where they came from, but then he tripped, making him blink and the red that covered his eyes was gone too.

Twilight turned her head to Sonic, who pushed himself up, "Sonic? Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I just got hit by the cubes like you did." Sonic answered. He shook his head, "It was weird."

_"That was just a mere taste of my overwhelming power."_ Infinite revealed in a stoic tone, _"Pray you survive this encounter."_

Sonic performed a Homing Attack on Infinite and backflipped, allowing Twilight to strike the masked being with her forehooves directly to his chest. Infinite responded by throwing more cubes directly at Twilight, the alicorn getting struck down. Luckily, Sonic caught her and wrapped an arm around her.

Meanwhile, Twilight's vision went red like Sonic's. "No! No!" she screamed. Sonic wasn't able to figure out what was wrong.

"What's wrong, Twi?" Sonic asked as he turned his head, unable to see the cubes in his path. His vision was also blurred and he tripped as a result, smacking the floor chin-first. He let out a grunt and panted, feeling something hit him on his side. "Agh!" he turned seeing a projectile strike him and Twilight. He rolled and got to a knee, releasing Twilight. "Man, that was odd."

"...Ow." Twilight groaned, "What is he doing to us?"

Sonic bolted ahead towards Infinite, the masked villain attempting to create a forcefield, but the hedgehog smacked him in the head with a Homing Attack and followed up with a spin kick. "I really don't care anymore. I just want to- Agh!" Infinite pushed him back with his powers, causing him to crash on the floor.

Twilight used her magic to lift Sonic back up before shooting a beam of magic at Infinite, stunning him long enough for Sonic to get his bearings and perform another Homing Attack, "Nice one, Twi!" he replied, landing in front of more red cubes.

_"I admit, I'm rather impressed."_ Infinite said, _"The two you have lasted longer than the fodder you call soldiers. Such a shame you will share the same fate as them."_

Twilight gulped, "D-Did he just-?"

Sonic bounced over more cubes being thrown at him and hissed, "I know. It's twisted, right? It just gives me another reason to kick his stupid mask in."

The heroes encountered Infinite at the end of the path, Sonic jumping off a spring and watching as the villain cloned himself. "Whoa! Since when could he do that?!"

Twilight muttered, "I-I don't know..."

Sonic began to bounce off each of the clones, each of them vanishing upon contact. Twilight decided to blast the one in the center, making him stagger. Then Sonic decided to push him down. The hedgehog landed back on the pathway, more aware of Infinite's strategy. Twilight teleported next to Sonic and remained by his side.

The hedgehog hopped over another trail of cubes, performing a Jump Booat directly onto Infinite's chest before getting blasted back. "Wagh!" the blue blur cried out, Twilight holding him still with magic. The blue hero touched the floor and ran again. He flipped over and slid under some cubes on the floor while Twilight swerved her flight path to avoid them in midair.

"Whew." Sonic exhaled, curling into a ball and smacking Infinite again, allowing Twilight to hit him with another spell. "Hopefully we got him on the ropes." said Sonic.

The two reached the end of the looping pathway ans Infinite started to clone himself again. This time more appeared. Luckily, Sonic had enough midair momentum to reach the real deal as Twilight vaporized all the clones back to nothingness in their purple aura. The hedgehog used one more Homing Attack on Infinite and capped off the fight with one more roundhouse kick.

Twilight used her magic to keep him in midair as Infinite backflipped from the force of the attack and held his mask, _"Impossible! Your abilities far exceed my previous data!"_

"That's the thing, Infinite. I grow stronger every second. Having aomeone fighting by my side certainly helped too." Sonic declared as he gave Twilight a thumbs up. "Face it, by yourself you're _weak_."

Infinite scoffed, _"I'm not weak. Quite the opposite in fact."_ he stretched out his arms and a red and purple aura bursted from his chest, enveloping the entire area. _"And I will show you just how weak you heroes are."_ Sonic and Twilight fell to the ground again, allowing Infinite to expose the two to his red cubes.

Twilight was unable to move, and Infinite extended a palm. _"Now it's time for the Princess of Friendship to say her farewell."_ Twilight closed her eyes upon hearing that and shed a tear. She was unable to do anything. Her magic didn'f work. Her body froze in what she assumed to be fear. She wasn't quite sure honestly. Whatever it was, it kept her still long enough for Infinite to attack and finish the job.

"NO!" Sonic screamed and pushing through the sudden pain he felt, jumping in front of the stunned alicorn and taking the two energy projectiles. He was launched back into the forest and landed headfirst.

The princess got her bearings and looked down, **"SONIC!"**

Infinite held back a laugh, _"A predicactable outcome. It would honestly be a waste of my efforts to finish you here in such a pathetic state."_ he announced. _"Face me when you're strong enough to be considered a challenge."_ he vanished in a light of red, ending the confrontation for the moment.

Twilight flew down to the forest where she saw Sonic fall to. She gulped, hoping her friend wasn't injured too bad. When her hooves touched the floor, she found Sonic lying unconscious on the dirt, bruises covering his body. A concerned expression overtook her features. "Oh no..." she muttered worriedly.

A quiet grumble was heard from the hedgehog. Twilight looked to the sky where Infinite was, "We have to find out what his power is. Before he causes more pain and destruction..."

But first, Twilight's concern was finding Silver, Applejack and Rarity and getting Sonic back to the HQ. Whatever Infinite was capable of, it scared her. A lot. She pushes those thoughts aside and used her magic to lift Sonic's unconscious body despite being tired herself, hoping to run into Silver soon.

They needed to figure things out soon.


	8. Green Hill: Green Hill

Twilight's eyes snapped open, letting out a scream as though something scared her. Her head looked left and right, as though she was searching for something. Her hooves felt the rough surface of the bed. It wasn't exactly comfy, but she was aware that this was the best the Resistance could do.

The alicorn wiped the sweat pouring from her head. She saw it again. The same thing that flashed in her mind when Infinite threw those strange red cubes. The lavender pony shook her head, trying to get those thoughts out of her head for good. She thought she could nap it off while she recovered from her fight. But it didn't work. She breathed heavily, using the method Cadance taught her.

Her ear twitched upon hearing the sound of footsteps coming closer to the room she rested in. She looked at the door once she heard it knock and inhaled, "Come in..." she muttered quietly.

The door creaked open, revealing Sonic. The hedgehog looked a little concerned, "You alright, Twi? I heard you from my room." he asked the princess.

Twilight weakly nodded, still feeling groggy. "I am."

Sonic raised a brow, skeptical at her answer, "You sure about that? I thought I heard you screaming a name or something..." he paused, "I'm not gonna pry you, I just want to help."

Twilight nodded again and said, "It was. I-I don't want to bother you in case you have another mission."

Sonic sat down, "I got some time to kill. Amy and Fluttershy suggested I rest for a bit like you anyway."

Letting out a sigh, Twilight began, "I'm... just worried about Spike now. Normally I'm fine with leaving him alone in Equestria, but here and now? If he's in this world, he could be alone! Maybe even scared. Who knows what he'll run into since he doesn't know where to go! He could find Eggman, Infinite or even one of our enemies!" she let out, her pupils shrinking at the idea, "I know he's not defenseless, but I just don't want him or any of my friends getting hurt..."

The hedgehog sighed, "I know where you're coming from. If those six months were torture in anyway, it was by not knowing how my friends were doing." Sonic paused as he tried to find the right words, "I may not have known you all for long, but Spike seems like he can handle himself in a jam. Didn't he save the Crystal Empire before? Rarity and Rainbow Dash brought it up to me a while ago."

"He did." Twilight replied, "But what we're dealing with here, it just feels more dangerous. Him being alone is much more of a risk here."

Sonic lowered his gaze to the ground, "Trust me, Twi. I kinda know how you feel."

Blinking, the alicorn faced the hedgehog. He did? She wondered how that was. With a sharp exhale, she managed to ask, "How so?"

"Tails." Sonic answered in a surprisingly sad tone.

Twilight bit her lip. Of course. She felt bad for forgetting, "I'm sorry, Sonic. It-it slipped my mind. With Infinite, the war, everything that's happened we-"

Sonic managed a thin smirk, "You don't need to apologize, Twi. Yeah, I'm worried about him, but I know he can handle himself without me. He's shown me that plenty of times. I have that same gut feeling with Spike too." an idea dawned an him, "You want me to convince Knux to start a search at least? I'm sure some of the troops wouldn't mind it."

"C-Can you? If we can that is." Twilight responded. She just wanted to know if he was safe after all and hoped that she wasn't compromising anything to do so.

"Heh. I'll go talk to Knux and see what's up. Are you sure that's it? Nothing else bothering you?" Sonic wondered.

Twilight smiled and said, "N-Nope. That's it. Thank you, Sonic."

Sonic gave a thumbs up, "No problem. If you and the others need any help just give us a ring. And we'll make sure Spike and Tails are safe and back here. I promise." the blue hero closed the door and left Twilight to dwell on her thoughts.

Yeah, she didn't exactly tell Sonic everything that was bothering her. But she didn't want to burden him with too much. She hoped that her friends were faring better than her mentally.

And she wondered how Spike and Tails were doing. She had no idea what either of them were doing, or if Spike was even here at all, and although the current circumstances worried her, she had faith her and Spike will reunite as well as Sonic and Tails one way or another.

* * *

After destroying the Oil Ocean Refinery, Tails, Spike and the Sonic from the alternate world were in the Tornado nearing their next destination. The dragon scratched his head, "So Tails. Where are we heading to this time? Do you have a map or something?"

Tails nodded, "You can borrow my handheld. I can fly the rest of the way from here."

"Cool. Thanks." replied Spike, grabbing the Miles Electric from Tails.

"To answer your other question, we're heading to Green Hill to track down that energy surge."

Sonic raised a brow and turned to Tails. Green Hill? He wondered how that place was faring compared to his last visit. He hoped it wasn't as bad as the city or even Oil Ocean. Then again, the latter never looked all that great to begin with. But still, Green Hill was kind of becoming a good running ground for him. He wondered if his other self liked heading there when he had nothing else to do too.

"Uh, Sonic?" Spike called out to the small hedgehog, snapping Sonic out of his trance. "You kinda zoned out there."

Sonic smiled sheepishly in response, mildy embarassed. He waved a hand and went back to looking ahead. Tails slowly asked, "Is everything alright, Sonic?" said hedgehog turned back around, pointed a thumb at himself and then to the island in the distance.

Spike blinked, "...Did you get any of that?"

"I did. Yeah, the Sonic of this world liked going to Green Hill too. I haven't been there since before the day of the takeover though, so I don't know how bad it got the past few months." Tails answered Sonic's question. Sonic smiled and nodded at the fox.

"I still have no clue how you can translate him." Spike muttered while looking back at the map. Sonic tapped his foot at the comment. If only he could talk! The dragon now wondered this Sonic was so insistent on being silent when the one he knew spoke just fine.

"Practice. Actions spoke louder than words back then. Either that or Sonic's vocal cords were messed up when he travelled across worlds for some reason." Tails theorized. "But that wouldn't explain why you can talk, so maybe he was just more silent than I remember." he added, not coming to a conclusion then.

Sonic scowled at the discussion. It wasn't that hard to talk to him, was it? Ah well. He decided to just roll with it. He didn't really feel like talking anyway. Spike looked at the slightly offended hedgehog, "Wow. You really have an attitude, huh?" Sonic turned to glare at him and the dragon raised his palms, "Okay, sorry. Yeesh."

Deciding to look ahead, Sonic pointed down at the giant mass of land that awaited them below, spotting nothing but green. "Looks like we got back to South Island sooner than expected. Buckle up, Spike. Oh, and hold on, Sonic. We're gonna land in just a moment." Tails warned his comrades as he held on to the controls of his plane. Luckily, the landing should be smooth.

* * *

The Tornado was parked in Green Hill once it landed. Sonic hopped off and took a moment to admire that the checkerboard patterns he knew still haven't faded. He gagged, able to smell that typical industrial stench that came with the territory of Eggman's industrial areas. It made him sick to think that Eggman ruined one of his favorite spots.

"Wow. This place is a Green Hill." Spike admired. "It looks pretty nice here actually."

Tails said, "It is surprisingly. Minus the smell of course. For a world conquered by Eggman, this area is surprisingly kept safe." he inspected what was ahead, noticing the usual checkerboard patterns on the grass, the rocks, the floating platforms. Everything was pretty much how he and Sonic remembered it.

Sonic, however, pointed towards the distance. "Are those... _Pyramids_?" Spike asked, squinting his eyes. "Whoa, it's like a desert all the way over there. How did that happen?"

The fox scratched his head and muttered, "I have no idea. It was probably Eggman who built them. It wouldn't be the first time he used a pyramid as a base anyway." he squinted his eyes, "Hey, Spike. Do you see that over there?"

Spike narrowed his gaze and looked ahead, spotting the tallest pyramid in the distance, noticing that it looked quite bent up as well as a few others near it. Sonic took notice of this well, "Hm. It looks pretty messed up. How the heck did that happen? Did you do it?"

Tails shook his head, "I didn't. Which most likely means my friends did, at the very least we know they're safe."

Sonic noticed Spike biting his lip, "Do you think my friends are alright too?"

"They probably are. In fact, my friends probably got them to safety by now. I'm still wondering how you all got separated if you ended up in the same rift though. Or why you showed up with Sonic near me." Tails wondered aloud. "It's quite odd how this turned out."

Spike rubbed his head, "Things are weird like that I guess. If anything, I'm just glad that I ended up in the city and not completely alone. I imagine Sonic would've been fine alone though." he gestured to the small blue hedgehog, who just shrugged in agreement.

Said hedgehog tapped his foot and pointed behind him, basically telling the two to get a move on. "Alright, jeez. You're starting to act like Rainbow Dash." when Spike only got a blank stare from Sonic, the dragon responded, "She's a pegasus- Actually, never mind. We'll probably meet her and the others soon enough hopefully."

Sonic ran first, prompting Tails and Spike to catch up. The dragon wrapped his claws around Tails' wrist, holding onto the fox as he propelled his tails. Luckily for them, the hedgehog kept his pacing as not to lose them. He looked at his usual running ground, seeing just how it ended up. The grass felt dry beneath his feet, the plant life was dying around him, the water was replaced with sand, and smoke could be seen in various spots, hinting at the mechanical transformation he swore to stop for so long. It tore him up a little inside to see just how dire things looked. Spike and Tails took notice of their friend's mood shift, but chose not to bring it up, aware that this must be some form of culture shock.

If Sonic found Eggman, he'll make him pay for doing this. Not just for South Island, but for this world and his own.

"Hey, Tails. Sonic looks a little... _sadder_ than usual. It's kinda odd." Spike whispered.

"I don't blame him. Green Hill is a special place for him. He hasn't been on the adventures the other Sonic and I went on to understand just how cruel Eggman could be nowadays. He knows that Sonic likes this place, so to turn it into... _this_, is perfectly fine with him if it means spiting Sonic. What's sad is that Green Hill possibly got it better compared to other spots around the planet."

Spike bit his lip. The three of them had quite a ways to go before this world was safe then. He thought back to the city and how it was constantly being demolished by those giant robots. He couldn't imagine how the rest of the world was handling this.

The three of them stopped once they went down a slope taking them into what appeared to be a cavern. Sonic smashed a Motobug, taken aback by its new look for a moment. Luckily, they're about as easy to trash like the ones he knew. "How are you holding up, Sonic?" Tails managed to ask his friend.

Sonic gave a thumbs up and feigned a smile. He didn't want Tails to worry about him. He had a reputation to keep after all. "You sure?" Spike added the question. Sonic frowned and nodded again, not wanting to be pried any further in this discussion. "If you say so." the dragon stated, believing the younger-looking hedgehog.

The blue blur stopped Tails and Spike once they reached a wooden bridge. Out of no where a line of Choppers jumped from the sandy river and made an arc near the wood surface. "That's right. There were Badniks around these bridges. Good looking out, Sonic." Tails complimented.

"You didn't know?" Spike asked with a raised brow.

"It's not very often I come here. And when I do, it's usually not because of Eggman." Tails admitted. The Choppers appeared again and went back into the sand.

Sonic got to a knee and began charging a Spin-Dash. When he heard the Badniks chomping, he charged through and destroyed the robots, freeing the animals inside. Tails and Spike took a moment to guide them to safety while Sonic stood up, telling them it's safe. The two crossed the bridge and paced themselves up a slope, Spike caught off guard by a spring appearing out of nowhere. "Whoa!" the dragon yelped, flailing his arms and legs in midair. He tried to hastily perform a Spin-Jump to get his bearings. Luckily, he managed to curl himself just right so that he flipped and landed on his feet, croucing to lesson the impact on his legs. He shivered. "I never want to do that again."

Tails dusted himself off, "Ditto. I never understood how invisible springs could exist anyway."

Spike shrugged, "Maybe they're like Pinkie Pie: they can never be explained. Twilight learned that lesson before. Though it took a while for her to do so." he chuckled, recalling the antics they went through in trying to figure out the pink mare's Pinkie-Sense.

The fox smiled, "Is she that random? I never really got to notice."

"You have no idea..." Spike muttered.

Sonic tilted his head. He kept hearing about these ponies and was growing quite curious about them. They'd probably run into them soon enough if they were here as well, he mused.

The trio jumped on top of another platform, Spike clinging onto the ledge with his claws. Luckily, Sonic and Tails helped him up, and the dragon gave his gratitude. They noticed another platform descending downwards before moving upwards. "How the heck do you two go through this? I can barely keep up."

"Experience." Tails admitted, Sonic proudly giving him a thumbs up in approval. "I take it you're not used to all this?"

They jumped on the platform when it was near them and hopped back to the pathway above the cavern, able to see the desert once more. Spike said, "Yeah. I hardly travel by myself, and sometimes the girls and I just take a train. And when I don't take a train, it usually doesn't require jumping everywhere."

Sonic and Tails chuckled, "I see where you're getting at."

Using another spring, the trio propelled themselves towards an upward path, Sonic destroying some Egg Pawns that were ready to aim their blasters at them. He bounced off each of them one by one, blowing them up with ease. Once they were in the clear, they continued on with Tails taking out his handheld. "Has anything changed, Tails?"

"Not yet. But I am detecting a larger energy signature reading on the moving on the island. The readings are off the charts!" Tails exclaimed.

Sonic was quite curious now. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good. Maybe it was another one of the villains like Chaos or Metal Sonic. No matter what, he was confident he'd take them down. He turned his head to Tails when he noticed the fox's finger was raised, "Actually, the reading is... right over us?"

Looking up at the clear blue sky, Sonic, Tails and Spike watched as a red blur zoomed away, not even noticing them. "Holy moly! What the heck was that thing?!"

"It looks like..." Tails' eyes widened once he pieced it together, "it's the same person that defeated Sonic!"

Sonic was taken back. He might just end up confronting the very person who took his doppelganger down. "T-The person who defeated Sonic?" Spike shivered. "What the heck are we gonna do? There's no way we can fight someone that powerful!"

Tails rubbed his head, "I know that, and I don't want to put either of you at risk. We have to follow him though."

"Follow him? Tails, that's crazy! What if he finds us?" Spike wondered, genuinely afraid of what could happen.

The fox tried to calm the dragon down, "Look, Spike. We need to find out why he's here of all places and if he's connected to that other energy source. He won't find us and we won't have to fight him. Just... Can the two of you trust me on this?"

Sonic responded to that question with a firm nod of his head. If he could trust anyone with an idea, it was Tails. He pointed at his chest, signifying that he was willing to go.

Spike gulped, "A-Alright. If you think this'll work, I'm with you."

"Thanks, guys." Tails said. "Now let's hurry before we lose track of him."

And so, they ran in the direction they saw the blur fly to. Sonic ran around a loop while Tails flew Spike around it, converging back on the grassy path. Eventually, they found a longer bridge lined up with Chompers ready to attack from the sand. Just to be safe, Sonic gently placed his foot on the surface, where he heard a large creak and felt the whole thing shake upon contact. Surprised, he swiftly moved his foot back, realizing this bridge was weak.

Spike said, "Something tells me this is gonna be dangerous."

"And the last thing we need is to take a dip in the sand... In fact, I think it might be quicksand. We need to get across this bridge as fast as possible then." Tails realized. He faced the hedgehog, "Ready whenever you are, Sonic."

Sonic was the first to dash ahead, with Tails wrapped his hand around Spike's arm, allowing him to keep up. The three of them narrowly avoided the Chompers that leaped out of the sand and made it back on solid land as the bridge collapsed under their weight. "That was a close one." Spike muttered.

"No kidding." Tails laughed off, "We should be close to that masked creep now."

Eventually, the three saw the figure they were looking for nearby and slowed down. Tails gestured to a boulder large enough for them to hide behind. They saw the masked being holding something in his hand and admiring it, a dark purple gem. Something about it seemed familiar to Sonic, but he couldn't figure out what it was. "What is that?" Spike whispered.

Sonic shrugged while Tails said, "I have no idea."

The trio ducked once they heard another noise. What sounded like a small turbine. Raising his head slightly, Tails immediately recognized the round hovercraft and the mustached man who was piloting it. He let out a quiet gasp, "Eggman."

Upon hearing that name, Sonic and Spike sat up. Indeed, the person across from the villain was none other than Dr. Eggman himself. "Dr. Eggman?! Why is he here?"

Eggman snickered, "Ah, Infinite, I see you retrieved what I had requested from you. Now it's time to finish your mission."

Infinite nodded and crushed the gem in his hand, _"So with that, the disposal of the Phantom Ruby Prototypes is complete."_ he revealed.

Phantom Ruby? Sonic definitely remembered that name. It was the gem his Eggman was searching for. The same thing that led to him getting stuck here in the first place. Curious to see how it all connected, he continued listening.

"It was a defective model. It could only record the DNA of the one who triggered it." Eggman stated.

Infinite pointed to himself, _"Only a being with my strength of will could ever activate it."_

Eggman tapped his chin, "Well it doesn't matter now with the lab shut down in Mystic Jungle. Speaking of the Mystic Jungle, didn't you run into Sonic and his little pony friends there after he escaped?"

_"I did, but they were powerless against me. There is no need for concern."_ Infinite revealed smugly.

The scientist growled, "You let the hedgehog live?! That is a great source of concern!"

Infinite placed two fingers on his mask to adjust it while speaking, _"For you perhaps. He has beaten you for years, yet I defeated him in our first encounter."_

Tails whispered to the two as a thin smile grew on his face, "Phantom Ruby Prototypes? And Sonic... is **alive**?"

"And the girls are safe too. Thank goodness." Spike said.

The three ducked once they saw Infinite turn in their direction. Eggman questioned this action, "What is it?"

The masked villain shook his head and folded his arms, _"...Nothing. We move forward with the plan?"_

The doctor grinned, "Of course! When it's complete, the Resistance will be destroyed. The world will be nothing but ashes, from which the glorious Eggman Empire will triumph!"

Infinite hovered and extended his arms, one lense on his mask flaring red as the strange gem on his chest glowed, _"And the Resistance will yield to the Phantom Ruby's power. All will submit."_ Eggman silently nodded and watched as Infinite flew off.

Sonic scowled. Now was his chance. He jumped from his hiding spot and started running, Tails trying to reach for him. Eggman was surprised to find him of all people here and gasped, "What? You?! What are you even doing here?" he wondered.

The hedgehog didn't respond and instead jumped on the rim of Eggman's Egg-Mobile, causing the doctor to grunt in pain, causing to tilt in one direction for a moment. Spike snickered at the sight. Eggman rubbed his forehead, "You'll regret doing that, you little rodent." he activated his jets and flew away. Sonic made haste and dashed after Eggman, jumping across the rock formations.

"...We should probably go after him." Spike said, pointing in the direction Sonic went.

"We should." Tails agreed. "I wish he'd stop running off like that though."

* * *

Sonic stopped in his tracks once he noticed that Eggman stopped as well. He was a little confused once the doctor startd laughing and pointed at him. Eggman sat back down and raised the windshield over his Egg-Mobile, when a chain connecting to a buzzsaw dropped from the bottom of his hovercraft.

The small hedgehog put his hands on his hips and rolled his eyes. The wrecking ball _again_? Maybe this Eggman wasn't much different from his world's after all.

"Surprised to see this here? I admit I was anticipating the Sonic of this timeline to appear, but you'll have to suffice. Crushing _two_ Sonics would be more than satisfying if you ask me." Eggman boasted.

Sonic jumped on one of the platforms and curled into a ball, smashing Eggman's windshield, causing him to bounce onto the other platform. Eggman turned the Egg-Mobile around and the wrecking ball began to swing in the hedgehog's direction. The blue blur jumped down right before it hit him and hopped around the chain, dodging the upgraded ball. His hand grabbed the chain and he used it to spin, getting enough momentum to reach the other side.

Eggman said, "Hm. You're a lot more agile than I expected."

With a smirk, Sonic climbed back onto one of the platforms. Unfortunately, the buzzsaw weakened the floating surface collapsed beneath his feet and he fell to the grass below. "Oh ho ho!" Eggman laughed, "That's why I upgraded this old invention. I knew you'd fall into old habits. You Sonics are predictable."

Predictable? Sonic gritted his teeth at that comment. If anyone was predictable it was Eggman, he thought. Seriously. He could predict the outcome of this very fight. He might as well provide the usual expectactions.

Not wanting to disappoint, Sonic jumped and smashed Eggman's hovercraft again, earning a grunt from the scientist. He bounced to the other side and ducked from the buzzsaw. Seeing an opening, Sonic jumped up once more and hit Eggman, the glass shattering upon contact this time.

Annoyed, Eggman retracted the buzzsaw. "You little pincushion. Did you really expect me to be easily defeated?"

The ground began to rumble. Sonic scrambled on his feet, wondering what it was. Hovering out of nowhere was perhaps the biggest mech Sonic had ever laid eyes on. It was even bigger than the Death Egg Robot! Eggman flew his hovercraft into the top where he then gained control of the robot.

The robot was bulky and red. It had a drill on one arm and a gun on the other. Wings extended from its back, and there was an opening for the Egg-Mobile on the top.

As brief as the memory was, Sonic did recall seeing this mech before. He thought it to be the one his counterpart destroyed before he showed up. The problem is that he never fought it before so he had no idea what to expect from it. It didn't help that it was quite a distance away from where he was standing. He needed to come up with something, a way to destroy this robot.

Eggman shouted, "You have a lot of nerve for a pint-sized Sonic from another timeline. Prepare to be skewered!" the arm cannon was extended and aimed right at Sonic.

The hedgehog ran left and right and jumped when necessary, dodging the artillery with ease. When that didn't work Eggman shot of his drill missiles at him. Sonic yawned and moved to the side, avoiding his crosshairs and the small explosion the projectile made.

Now agitated, Eggman moved the bottom of the robot to sweep up boulders on the narrow pathway Sonic was on. The hedgehog was nearly squashed, but luckily he made it out of the way before he was crushed on both sides. Unfortunately, Eggman managed to stack the checkerboard boulders so that they were too high to jump over. He could probably Spin-Dash them so they bounced off, but he didn't want to risk getting crushed by a loose rock. Their was only spikes in front and behind him where the paths ended.

Eggman then shouted, "The other Eggman was too weak-minded to destroy you once and for all. It seems I'm gonna have to be the one to finish the job. Say farewell, Sonic!"

Up in the sky nearing the battlefield was Tails and Spike, the former flying while holding the latter's wrists. The fox's eyes widened when he noticed the drill on the robot's arm beginning to charge up, "Uh, where's Sonic?" Spike asked.

"In between those boulders!" Tails bit his lip. He lost Sonic once, there was no way he'd let it happen again. They needed to act fast. "Spike, I'm gonna try something. When I throw you, use your Spin-Jump!"

Spike shouted back, "What? But I'm not good-"

"Listen, Spike. I know you can do it. We can't lose Sonic here. Not when he has to get back home. It's the only way we can save him from where we're at. Don't worry, I'll catch you." Tails eased, trying to convince his dragon friend.

The dragon gulped nervously, "A-Alright then. Let's do it."

"Thanks, pal."

And so, Tails began to spin around horizontally, gaining enough speed to throw his friend in the proper direction. Once he was ready, Tails released Spike, where he began to flip so that he mimicked Sonic and Tails' Spin-Jump. He bounced off Eggman's cockpit, where Tails swooped in and grabbed him. "What the-?!" Eggman shouted, wondering what hit him from his spot.

The two landed and Tails activated his arm cannon, shooting the high stacked boulders to pebbles, freeing Sonic and allowing him to bounce the remaining ones in Eggman's direction, landing on the giant robot and damaging it a bit. "You alright, Sonic?" Tails asked, the trio reuniting at last, receiving a nod as a response. "I really wish you wouldn't run off like that. You never fought the Egg Dragoon before. What would've happen if we hadn't gotten here in time? The last thing we want is for you to die here."

Sonic looked at the ground in slight shame. He had a point. This isn't his world, it's new territory for him. He needed to get back home after all. He sighed.

"Well well, look who decided to show up: **the sidekicks**." Eggman said in a mocking tone.

Spike hissed, "Hey, we're not sidekicks!"

"Please. You two can barely function without Sonic and your pony friends being by your sides." Eggman taunted.

Tails smirked, "Are you still sore from when I destroyed your mech twice?"

Eggman said, "You better hold that tongue if you wish to keep it. I'm merely stating facts."

"What facts?" Tails wondered, blasting a beam of enegy directly at Eggman.

"The fact that you two are merely holding Sonic and your friends back." Eggman stated coldly. "The fact that you're powerless against me."

Sonic wondered what Eggman is getting at. Holding him back? They were doing quite the opposite, he noted, never doubting his friends for even a second. Annoyed by his doppelganger's nemesis, Sonic pointed at the Egg Dragoon, "Aw, what are you gonna do, you little rodent? You're nothing more than an outcast!" he shot a missile at the three, the trio dodging it with ease right as Tails shot another orb of energy from his arm cannon.

"Hey, leave Sonic out of this!" Spike warned. Eggman swept up more boulders their way. The dragon performed a Spin-Jump and managed to knock the debris back at the robot, causing it to stumble in midair while Eggman tried to recalibrate the controls. "Whoa. I actually am getting the hang of this!" he proudly told himself, still slightly dizzy.

"You'll pay for that, you annoying lizard." the doctor mumbled.

Tails began to spin his namesakes around and hovered, allowing Sonic to grab his hands. The two hovered in the air, "We heard enough from you, Eggman." he told their enemy, throwing Sonic so that he boosted right to where Eggman was sitting, before being tossed back onto the field. Tails decided to add on using his arm cannon and shot through some of the Egg Dragoon's armor.

"Hey, Tails! Any advice on how to stop this thing?" Spike asked.

Once he landed, the fox spoke to Spike and Sonic, "My world's Sonic told me that the head and lower part of the of the Egg Dragoon are the weak points, butt the whole thing can be damaged. We can probably use some of the debris he throws at us when he recharges his ammunitions. To do so, we'll have to Spin-Jump underneath one of the boulders at the same time to toss it right back at him with enough force. Sonic, think you can taunt Eggman for a moment so he can do just that?"

Sonic gave a thumbs up. He jogged away from the fox cub and dragon so he could face Eggman on his own. He waved to the doctor and stuck his tongue out. Eggman growled, "Why you-!" he began shooting at the hedgehog. Sonic smiled and jumped all over the place, not breaking a sweat while he swiftly dodged until it stopped raining bullets.

When he noticed this, Eggman began to sweep up more debris from underneath him to get his enemies. Sonic met back with Tails and Spike and looked up, noticing a giant shadow covering them. "Now!" the two-tailed hero ordered, the three of them jumping at the same time. Once they hit the boulder, it was pushed back from their Spin-Jump, landing directly on the Egg Dragoon, it emitting smoke once the debris smacked right into the middle of its torso. "Yeah!" Tails cheered, glad that their tactic worked.

"You have a lot of fight for a bunch of kids." Eggman grumbled.

Spike responded, "These 'kids' are kicking your metal butt!"

"It won't matter in the end. My upgraded Egg Dragoon shall mop the floor with you. It's brilliant design exceeded even my expectations!"

Tails said, "But that means you miscalculated. That's a failure in my book."

"Nice one." Spike chuckled.

"To surpass expectations is the ultimate of genius! I wouldn't expect you to understand." the Egg Dragoon then shot a few drill missiles in their direction, prompting Sonic to grab hold of his friends and dash from where they were set to land. More bullets were then shot out of the left arm's minigun.

"Look out!" Spike warned, getting Sonic's attention. The small blue hero managed to backflip, leaping over the ballistics that were aimed for the ground. Once they were spared a moment to breath, Spike panted and gagged, "I'm never getting used to that..." he moaned, wiping sweat off his head.

Tails glanced at the ground, and noticed a large shadow covering them, unaware that Eggman even acted in retaliation. "Okay, now!" he said. The trio jumped up and managed to bounce the checkerboard piece of debris back at the Egg Dragoon, putting some serious damage on it. Dents were visible and even more smoke began to appear to cover it.

"Alright. I've had it with you pests!" Eggman snarled. "I hope you're ready for a _roast_, because I'm gonna burn you to ashes!"

The Egg Dragoon began to fly towards Sonic, Tails and Spike. "Grab on, guys." the fox said. He spun his tails around like a propellor and grabbed Sonic's wrists with Spike grabbing Sonic's legs. The three ascended, with Tails mustering as much energy as he could to keep them in midair long enough.

"I think we can hit him together, Tails." Spike pointed out, "Once he gets close enough that is... Wow, that sounds crazier than I thought."

"It's not actually. I'm gonna try out my Thunder Shoot technique. When he's near us, the three of us are going to Spin-Dash right at him at the same time!"

When Eggman was near them, Tails threw Spike first, his body covered in a yellow electric aura. The same happened to Sonic when he was tossed at the Egg Dragoon. Time seemed to slow down for Eggman as Tails followed suit. The three of them continuously bounced all around the mech, damaging it as much as they possibly could. Eggman grunted and hissed once he realized he was losing control of the robot, the controls scrambling. He ducked underneath Spike, seeing that the circuits were now exposed.

The trio bounced their way back to the path, where they watched Eggman eject from the Egg Dragoon right as it exploded. In order to save face, the scientist hissed, "It would be too easy to destroy you here. I'll round up the Resistance one way or another! Just you wait!"

When they saw Eggman fly away, Spike pointed at him, "Let's get him!"

While they gave chase, the scientist was barely able to keep himself moving before the Egg-Mobile crashed and slid on the grass, creating a small patch of dirt as it topped over, the doctor groaning while rubbing his sore head.

Once they caught up, Tails shouted, "Okay, Eggman! It's all over now!" he tried to hit Eggman with a blast from his arm cannon, but it bounced off the hovercraft, leaving him, Sonic and Spike confused. "What the-?"

"Hohohoho!" laughed Eggman, "Did you really think I didn't have a failsafe planned for this event? I can't believe you all think you have a chance of winning. It's adorable." he smirked as he tried to rev up his mobile, "It almost makes me feel bad that we're never doing this dance again."

Sonic raised a brow, wondering what he meant by that. As if to answer his unspoken question, Eggman raised a few fingers, "In just three days, my plan will eliminate the bothersome lot of you!" the trio looked at one another in confusion.

"Wait, three days? And what plan?" Spike asked.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise! You know what they say, the anticipation of the end is worse than the end itself!" the scientist finally managed to get his Egg-Mobile working in spite of Sonic's Spin-Dashing attempts on his temporary forcefield. However, once it was hovering, Sonic could only look up as the doctor finished his statement, "Maybe not in this case though. **Mwahahahaha**!"

They could only watch as Eggman flew away. Spike kicked a pebble in frustration, "Aw man. We almost had him too! We could've ended this for good."

After a silent moment, Tails exhaled and rubbed his head, thinking back to the battle, "I know..." he glanced over to Sonic, causing the hedgehog to look at him, "Hey, Sonic, since we have a moment to rest... Look, I know Eggman's the last person I should be listening to, but... Am I actually holding you back?" he wondered.

Sonic immediately shook his head, reaching a hand for the fox's shoulder. He pointed to his friends and then himself, as if to say that they had each other's backs. The last thing he wanted was for Tails to think he was a burden. He never once thought that about him, even back on his world, and he was sure his doppelganger felt the same.

"I wonder if Twilight think I'm a burden..." Spike sighed to himself, sitting on the grass.

Tails sat next to Spike and said, "You're the opposite of a burden, Spike. You even helped defeat Eggman! Look, I know we haven't really gotten to know each other for long, but you're a good friend."

"Friend?" Spike repeated.

"Yep. We fought Eggman together back in Equestria, you managed to knock me out of a six month rut to get back into fighting in the war, and Sonic and I wouldn't have made it this far without your help. How could I not think of you as a friend?" Tails asked. "Trust me, Twilight and the others are lucky to know you."

Spike chuckled, "I guess we do make a good team. What do you think, Sonic?"

Sonic nodded in agreement. True, he knew the Equestrians less than his doppelganger, but he had to admit Spike was competent when he needed to fight. He sat down in between the two and looked in the distance, wanting just a bit to rest before they went back to work.

"Heh. We totally kicked Eggman's butt back there. Not bad for a couple of 'sidekicks', huh?" Spike laughed, bringing some levity to their current situation.

"Nope." Tails snickered, "I guess that's what happens when he dared to fight the Hero of the Crystal Empire."

Spike smirked, "The Heroes of the Crystal Empire _and_ Station Square. I'm not gonna take full credit for it like Rainbow Dash would." Sonic pointed his thumb to his chest, wanting a title for the fun of it, "Oh yeah, and the uh... The Hero of... Mobius?"

Sonic shrugged. Good enough he supposed.

They sat there, letting silence overtake them. It was surprisingly nice and serene. Quite a contrast from the war they were dealing with. "This is pretty cool. The three of us just sitting here, relaxing, hanging out. If we weren't fighting for our lives every second, I'd say this is a pretty awesome vacation.

Tails inhaled and replied while sitting up, "Ditto, but as much as I want to take a break, we have to get back to business."

Spike and Sonic agreed, "Alright. What's next?"

The fox gestured in the direction they came from and said, "We have to find my world's Sonic and tell him about Eggman's plan."

Sonic immediately got up as did Spike, "Awesome! Let's do it!"


	9. City: Park Avenue

In the Resistance HQ, Knuckles, Buddy, Amy and Fluttershy were all awaiting updates from the two teams Knuckles sent out to liberate more land Eggman had conquered.

_"Knuckles! Do you read?"_

The commander of the Resistance heard the transmission and placed a hand to his ear, "What is it, Vector?"

_"We're bein' overwhelmed in the city! There's no way we can destroy the robots across the city and protect the civilians from the incoming forces Eggman is sending all at once!"_ Vector shouted.

Knuckles growled. He needed to come up with a plan. So he reached out to the other defense team he sent out to Seaside Hill, "Alpha Squad! Are any of you able to make your way to the city on South Island to aid the Omega Squad? Things are not going as smoothly as I hoped." he called out, hoping for good news.

Rainbow Dash answered, _"Sorry, Knux. We're a little overwhelmed here. These bots just keep coming with no sign of stopping!"_ lasers were heard in the distance, followed by a scream, _"Oh crud. Someone needs medical attention! We gotta go now!"_

And with that, the call ended. Knuckles slammed a fist on the table in frustation. "Darn it!"

"What's wrong, Knuckles?" Amy asked.

"The Resistance is overwhelmed on all fronts. Alpha Squad is trying to keep Eggman's forces at bay while Omega Squad can't take care of the civilians and the number of Death Egg Robots. We need just one soldier to go in and make a difference and the two of us are needed here to make sure we aren't infiltrated." Knuckles explained. He tapped his foot, hoping to come up with something. "As much as I don't want to, it looks like Buddy needs to go out there."

Said wolf pointed at himself in confusion. Knuckles sighed, "Yes. Sonic, Twilight and Silver still need to recover from their fight with Infinite." he patted the rookie's shoulders, "Look, I'm not gonna make you destroy the Death Egg Robots by yourself or fight one of the elite villains. We just need you to go to the city and diminish Eggman's smaller numbers so Alpha Squad can get rid of most of the Death Egg Robots without anymore trouble."

Buddy gulped. "And it's about time you got a small upgrade. Do you have it, Amy?"

The pink hedgehog nodded and handed Buddy a square blue hammer. He raised a brow and wondered what it was. Amy answered, "This is the Hammer Wispon. It's based off my hammer, but I don't need the upgrade so you can have it. Just remember that it won't reach any robots attacking from above." she warned.

The Rookie nodded, listening to what she said. He heard Knuckles soon say, "Get yourself prepped in a few minutes, Rookie."

With that, Buddy left the room to grab his gear and whatever else he needed for the upcoming battle. When he was out of sight, Fluttershy pointed something out, "Are you sure it's a good idea to send him out there? He looks kind of scared."

"I'm sure, Fluttershy. He's gonna need the experience anyway." Knuckles assured the pegasus. "If anything goes wrong, he'll already have backup waiting to assist him."

* * *

In the city, the Chaotix, Applejack and Pinkie were fighting off as much of Eggman's forces as they could, doing their best to protect the bystanders and destroy the robots that have been laying waste to the city in their ambush.

Pinkie Pie bounced on top of one of the gray Egg Pawns and landed next to Applejack, who was busy kicking back Motobugs and Crabmeats. The party pony said, "This is kind of exciting!"

"Fer all the wrong reasons, Pinkie." Applejack reminded her, "Did ya'll forget we're fightin' for our lives here?"

"But Charmy's having fun!" Pinkie pointed out, poking a hoof in the direction of the bee, who was cheering as he bashed his stinger into every robot that stood in his way.

"Isn't this _awesome_, Pinkie?" Charmy shouted, hovering next to Pinkie while she leaped in the air.

"Yeperoo! I never knew destroying Eggman's robots could be so much fun!" the pink mare responded.

Espio sighed, "For crying out loud..."

Vector headbutted another robot and muttered, "This is gettin' outta hand. It's like there's two of 'em now!"

Espio gestured a scared dog civilian to run through the alleyway with the rest of the citizens in the neighborhood, "Go! We'll cover you from here!" he told him. The dog ran where Espio pointed, The ninja threw some shurikens directly at a robot's optics as it marched towards him, shutting down their visors, which made it collide with a wall as a result.

The dog nodded and ran in the direction the chameleon pointed, "I don't know how much longer we can keep fighting."

Applejack ducked from a laser shot from a flying Egg Pawn. Using her lasso, she tied it around the floating robot and yanked it downwards, it exploding once it hit the ground. She noticed a cat hiding behind a corner, spotting a Motobug heading in her direction. Without hesitation, the farmpony dashed and leaped, spinning her body around so that her hindlegs met the charging robot's body. She launched it aside and turned it to scrap immediately.

Once she landed, Applejack asked, "Are you alright?"

The cat nodded, "Who are you?"

"Name's Applejack. Ah'm with the Resistance. Ya'll better get outta here to safety with everypon- everyone else. We'll turn these robots to scrap faster than I can buck apple trees." the mare explained.

The cat ran off, allowing Applejack to focus on the armada ahead of her. She jumped back from a missile and slid on the streets. Pinkie hopped next to her friend, "Let me break it!" she said.

At that moment, the party pony brought her party cannon out from nowhere and aimed it at the robot. She pulled the rope and then a giant cake flew out of it, it landing on the Egg Pawn's head and blinding it long enough for Pinkie to launch an anvil at it, destroying the robot for good. She smiled, "There we go!"

Espio blinked, "How did she-"

"Don't question it." Applejack said in a deadpan tone.

"That was super duper cool!" Charmy cheered, making his way directly through a Kiki Badnik hanging on the side of a building. The bee dodged the exploding coconuts that were being thrown at him. Charmy then drove his stinger through the monkey Badnik, shutting it down for good. He found Pinkie on the roof he was near.

"I know right!?" she shouted.

Vector winded up a punch and drove his fist directly through one of the bigger robots. Espio slid back and threw a few shurikens at some of the faster robots. "Did Knuckles give an update?" the ninja asked.

"Errgh!" Vector grunted, taking a hit to the chest. He held his sore spot and said, "Not yet. It's been nothing but from his end. Hopefully he has something good planned."

Applejack added, "Ya'll think he's comin' himself?"

Espio replied, "Unlikely. He and Amy have to keep watch of the HQ in case of a compromise."

"Ah thought as much." the farmpony muttered. "Than who could he possibly send? It's crazier out here than the lines during Cider season."

The crocodile gave one of the bots a right hook, "I don't know, but they better be quick. We have some Death Egg Robots to hold off too. We can't focus on these small fry forever!"

"Did somepony say fries?" Pinkie wondered.

Espio inhaled, "It's a figure of speech, Pinkie. Just focus on the robots."

"Okey dokey!" the pink pony responded, grabbing her cannon once more and aiming it at Eggman's forces.

* * *

On the other side of the city, Buddy used his grappling hook to swing off the edge of a building and land on a rooftop. He dropped to a knee, still not used to this much action. He heard Knuckles over his comms, _"Alright, Rookie. Your mission is simple. Destroy Eggman's robots. We've detected no life signals of the elite rogues in your vicinity so you don't have to worry about an unexpected fight. Leave the Death Egg Robots to the rest of the Omega Squad."_

Buddy gave a quick, "Mm-hmm!" before running into battle. He had to admit, he was kind of afraid. This is the first time he had been alone on the frontlines since he helped invade the Chemical Plant. But the Resistance needed his help, so he wasn't going to back down now.

The wolf jumped down and used his grappling hook to safely touch the ground. He saw some robots standing in his way. However, they were larger than the usual Egg Pawns he's seen. Amy clarified, _"E-2000s? We haven't seen them before!"_

_"Seems Eggman is drawing out the big guns for his attack. Amy, reach out to Alpha Squad and check to see if they've encountered any new robots in Eggman's line."_ Knuckles ordered. _"Fluttershy and I will keep contact with the Rookie."_

Buddy listened and found an army of robots standing in front of him, blasters out. The wolf tightly gripped the blue hammer and slammed it on the ground, turning the immediate army into blue cubes. He had to admit, he was a little confused about the side-effect. Curious, he slammed his hammer down again in hopes of creating a shockwave. It seemed to work based on the fact that the robots vanished in a blue flash. He eyed his hammer once more before running.

_"What was that?"_ Fluttershy asked.

_"The Blue Wisps can turn certain objects into cubes."_ the echidna commander explained, _"Based on the sounds, it seems like Buddy's putting the Wispon to good use."_

Buddy shrugged at the explanation. Whatever worked, he supposed. The wolf bounced on a spring and ran around a loop. Once he went around it, he spotted some soldiers fighting off some of the opposition. What caught his eye is that they also had Wispons. _"That looks like the town's militia. We sent soldiers across the world to defend as many towns as possible."_ Knuckles explained for him. Buddy nodded, realizing that he should help them.

So, Buddy did just that. Once he spotted a Buzz Bomber, he slammed down his hammer on the ground. When he noticed nothing happened, he remembered what Amy told him. He smiled sheepishly in embarassment and jumped, using his grappling hook to home in on the aerial robot, he drove his feet directly onto it, destroying it. While he was in the air, the wolf started flipping and landed perfectly on his feet, using his hammer to take care of the ground-level offensive.

Once the immediate area was clear, one of the soldiers, a dog, walked up to him and shook his hand. "Thanks for the save, stranger. Are you with the soldier Commander Knuckles sent?"

Buddy nodded, and the soldier continued, "It's great to have new recruits join the fight. We have this area covered. Commander Knuckles sent his friends further into the city to destroy the Death Egg Robots, just take that path ahead." he pointed to an alleyway.

With a friendly wave, Buddy sprinted in that direction. Leaving the militia to continue the fight. "He seems like a quiet one." the rabbit pointed out.

The wolf saw another soldier trying to escort civilians to safety. He dashed forward and used his hammer on the forces, destroying them. He nodded to the soldier and swung away without a word. The bear could only scratch his head and ask, "Who was that?"

* * *

On top of a rooftop, Applejack, Vector and Espio stared down a Death Egg Robot. "And Ah thought Timberwolves were big."

"I don't know what those are, but they don't sound friendly. These are without a doubt the biggest thing the doc's ever built." Vector pointed out, taking a step back.

Espio folded his arms. "All we have to do is reach the head."

Applejack grabbed her lasso, "Ya'll think this'll do?"

"It'll have to." Espio said.

The three jumped, with Vector holding the pony and chameleon under his arms. Applejack managed to grip the rope onto the robot and they swung all the way around the robot's torso, leaning upwards so that they could reach for the head. They took the rope out and were now freefalling, Espio curling into a ball while Applejack and Vector extended their fists/hooves. They dove into the Death Egg Robot's face and leaped out from the other side of its head, landing on a rooftop right on time to watch the giant mechanical beast fall on its back.

"Whoa nelly! That was quite a ride." Applejack wiped the sweat from her head.

Vector proudly flexed his arms, "I'll never get tired of destroying these things!"

Espio dusted his hands, "But our work here is not done. Where's Pinkie Pie and Charmy?"

**KABOOM!**

The three cringed at the sound and could only watch as Pinkie and Charmy were launched directly into the robot's head. "Did they just-?" Vector wondered.

Looking at the ground, Applejack spotted a colorful cannon. She could only roll her eyes and sigh, "They did."

Once the Death Egg Robot the two flew through fell, Charmy grabbed Pinkie's hooves and landed on the same roof as Applejack, Espio, and Vector. "That was totally amazing!" Pinkie cheered.

"It was! We should keep doing it!" Charmy agreed.

Vector muttered, "Well, it surprisingly worked..."

"Told you they'd think it was a good idea!" Pinkie said to the bee.

Espio said, "Are you done?"

"Yep!"

Applejack asked, "So what should we do now?"

Crouching down, Espio replied, "We should meet with this town's militia and tell them this area's safe for sheltering anyone stuck here."

"Ooh! Is that them down there?" Pinkie questioned.

Vector glanced down, spotting the soldiers wielding their weapons. "Huh. They are."

The Omega Squad jumped down. "How're things on yer end?" Vector asked.

"Better than expected. The new guy the commander sent is making a lot of noise." the leader said.

"Was he a red wolf with glasses and always looks super super worried?" Pinkie asked.

"Er, yes. How did you know?"

"Just a guess!" the pink pony proudly said.

Applejack raised a brow, "Knuckles sent Buddy here? Where is he?"

A soldier nodded, "Seems so. He's on the other side of town. We noticed that the number of robots dwindled once he arrived. Don't worry, with the Death Egg Robots destroyed around here, we can handle whatever threat makes its way over here."

Applejack said. "Ah wish we can destroy the rest, but that's way too many fer us to handle at once. We promise we'll come back when we can afford to bring in more people."

A rabbit said, "Don't worry. The sudden ambush was the bigger priority, and we know about the attack at Seaside Hill. As the defense squad for the town, we'll take care of things in your absence."

"Ya'll are doin' some mighty good out here." Applejack complimented. She faced the Chaotix, "What do we do now?"

Espio responded, "We should meet with Buddy at the bridge. From there we'll head back to HQ and rest until we're needed again. Which won't take long."

"Alright. The bridge should just be this way!" Vector said.

The Omega Squad were running through the city, destroying whatever was left of Eggman's forces during the attack. Applejack tripped an E-2000 back with her hindlegs, making it fall upon its back. Pinkie jumped over its body with a smile on her face.

The team stopped however, when Pinkie spotted a still red robot, "Holy moly! What is that?" she pointed to it.

The Chaotix instantly recognized the robot and ran towards it. "Is it a threat?" Applejack asked.

"No way! It's Omega!" Charmy cheered. "We found him! We found him!"

Vector frowned, "But what the heck happened to him?"

"Ya'll know him?" the farmpony wondered.

The crocodile said, "Yep! This is Omega. He's a good friend'a ours. We lost track of him the day Sonic was captured."

Espio used his comms, "Knuckles. We found Omega. Tell Rouge whenever you can."

"Really? What is he doing in the city?"

Pinkie held one of the hands, "He's shut down! Like me after a sugar rush!"

"Er, thanks for the description, Pinkie. Vector, think you can lift him back to HQ?"

Vector smirked, "Of course." the detective lifted the deactivated robot with both arms. "Think you guys can cover for me?"

* * *

With how much he was swinging across buildings, Buddy felt like some kind of comic book hero. He wasn't sure why that was exactly. But he actually felt confident again. _"Buddy?"_ Applejack called out through her comms. The wold responsed with a cheerful grunt. The farmpony responded, _"We cleared out the Death Egg Robots in our area."_

_"Eggman's forces should be thinning out at this point. We'll rendezvous at the bridge. Be sure to clear to clear out any robot you see on the way there."_ Espio said.

Buddy dropped to the ground face first, unable to land on his legs in time. He sat up and wiped the dirt off his muzzle and grunted. He still had to get used to the whole soldier thing it seemed. He put a hand to his ear when he heard Knuckles say, _"Watchout, Rookie. It looks like there are some Egg Hammers ahead."_ he warned.

_"Oh dear."_ Fluttershy gulped.

The Rookie held out his Wispon and found the Egg Hammers. The one in front slammed his own down, but Buddy slid underneath the robot and jumped up, using his hammer to turn them into cubes. _"Um, how powerful is that, Knuckles?"_ Fluttershy asked, realizing that the robot signals vanished from her end.

_"A lot more than I expected."_ Knuckles admitted under his breath. _"Just make sure you don't use that here, Buddy."_

Buddy nodded in agreement. In all honesty, he kinda preferred the Fire Wispon he started out with anyway. He moved on, seeing a group of unarmed bystanders backing away in fear at the dull gray robots coming for them. They were all blocked by a wall, unable to find an opening to escape. The Rookie scowled and extended his grappling hook, aiming for the aerial drones first.

He then homed in on the Egg Pawn in front and kicked another back. The Rookie backflipped and stomped on top of a Crabmeat, destroying it in one hit. He turned around swung his hammer on a Motobug's side, smashing it to pieces. Buddy slid under the Egg Hammer before using his hammer to turn it into a cube.

With the robots cleared, he looked at the shocked people. "Y-You saved us!" said a bear, "You're a hero!"

Hero? Buddy scratched his head and smiled sheepishly. He was a soldier, sure, but being called a hero was a new level of praise. He was just doing what was right. He shrugged and shook his head, not wanting to accept that boast. He pointed behind him, the people going there. But not before thanking him again.

The Rookie used his grappling hook and zipped upwards, landing on a rail to grind on. He noticed a dead end and jumped using his hook to home in on one of the robots guarding the edge of the roof. Once he landed, he spotted the bridge, and the Omega Squad heading there too, with a giant robot in Vector's arms.

However, unknown to them, there was a small swarm of robots heading there way. With no time to waste, Buddy made the leap and brought the hammer down, creating a shockwave strong enough to stop the robots in their tracks. He slammed it again, causing the robots to vanish in a blue light like before. He panted and turned around, seeing that the team was looking directly at him.

"You alright there, Rookie?"

Buddy gave a thumbs up and Applejack responded, "Ya did us a mighty favor by doin' that."

Charmy swung his legs, "Hey, Espio. I thought you were a ninja. Why didn't you see those robots coming?"

"Being a ninja doesn't give me hyper senses, Charmy." Espio growled.

Pinkie gasped, "It doesn't?!"

"No." Espio said bluntly.

"Aw..."

_"Omega Squad. Rookie. What's the status?"_ Knuckles asked through the comms.

"Things are startin' to lighten up here, Knux." Applejack answered.

"Indeed. The town's militia will clear whatever remains of Eggman's smallee numbers since they've dwindled enough to be nothing more than a nuisance. We're on our way back to HQ with Omega." Espio elaborated for the commander.

"And we couldn't have done it without Buddy!" Pinkie cheered.

Buddy shrugged, and Vector said, "Just take the compliment, kid. Nice work trashing the bots we couldn't reach."

And so, the Resistance began their trek back to the Resistance base. The militia was able to take care of things and they planned to come back to destroy what was left of the Death Egg Robots eventually. It was only a matter of time until the city was safe once more.

Buddy looked back at how he helped those people. Just a day ago he was a nobody that ran away from danger. Here he was back in the city, helping the defenseless. But then he shuddered upon remembering Infinite, and that he was still afraid of him. At the very least Knuckles was kind enough to give him an easy mission this time.

And he hoped he never had to cross paths with Infinite ever again. He could handle robots, and stand by his new friends' sides, but the last thing he wanted was to face that monster again.

"Buddy?"

The wolf's train of thoughts stopped once he heard the farmpony's voice. "Ah. Zoned out, hm?" she asked. Buddy gave a thumbs up, "Alrighty there. Just makin' sure you were feelin' fine. Ah imagine yer still reelin' from your other missions?"

He answered with a nod, to which Charmy responded, "You'll get used to it, Buddy!"

"Just know yer not alone in that." Applejack assured.

At least Buddy could take solace in that. With that, they left the city and continued their trek back to their base.


	10. Seaside Hill: The Defense

Twilight rubbed her head. She was sitting at a table reading through Tails' old books. Knuckles had given it to her when she asked, citing she wanted to learn more about Mobius. Luckily, the Resistance had a few on standby for the event of one of their own wanting to pass time while recovering before a mission.

But learning was only one of the reasons.

The other reason was that whatever Twilight saw in that vision Infinite forced upon her was still messing with her mind. She needed something to divert her attention, even if it was just for a moment. The alicorn used her magic to turn another page, the paper getting enveloped in the purple glow. Her eyes narrowed, doing her best to absorb every written word in her line of sight.

She had to admit it was a fascinating read. She just finished reading about the Guardian Unit of Nations, a government military organization that protected the world. She wondered how they were faring in this war. Twilight had also read a few chapters about the ancient Babylonians, the entities known as Light Gaia and Dark Gaia, and even bits of something called the Ifrit. There was even a book including translations of the aliens known as Wisps, written by Tails himself. She deduced that it helped distribute the Wispons.

Normally, Twilight would want to learn more. But strangely enough, she wasn't in the mood. In a brief fit of disappointment, she slid the book aside with her magic, accidentally letting it slide off the table. A gentle thud was heard when it landed. She groaned and put her head on the table, annoyed that she couldn't focus.

Twilight thought back to what she saw when the red cubes hit her. And it terrified her. She needed to figure out how Infinite managed to do it soon...

"Um, Twilight?"

Raising her head, the alicorn spotted Fluttershy peeking in. "Huh? Oh, come in Fluttershy..." she answered groggily.

The pegasus walked in and sat down next to the alicorn, "Are you okay?" she wondered.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Twilight lied, responding a little too fast.

"Oh, alright. Applejack, Pinkie, Rainbow Dash and Rarity are on separate missions right now." Fluttershy revealed.

"Are they safe?!" Twilight asked worriedly.

Fluttershy raised a brow, "...They are."

The alicorn sighed in relief and muttered, "Thank Celestia..."

"Are you sure you're fine, Twilight?"

Twilight sighed heavily, "Yes. I am completely one hundred percent fine. You and Sonic don't need to worry about me. I'm just tired from having to fight Infinite is all. That's it."

The meek pegasus blinked and said, "If you're sure then. I-I don't want to bother you."

Twilight realized she may have been a bit aggressive in her response and touched her friend's shoulder, "You're not bothering me, Fluttershy. Sorry, it's just... I'm scrambling to find an answer on how Infinite became so powerful and it's starting to stress me out since I've found nothing. I-I just hope you never have to face him." she studdered out. She didn't want to scare Fluttershy when she's most likely already worried about their friends.

Fluttershy nodded at her words. Based on what she heard from Twilight and Sonic, Infinite really wasn't one to be trifled with. She said, "I understand. But you know we're not putting pressure on you to find it, right?"

Twilight blinked. She figured as much. The last thing she wanted was a repeat of what happened with the Sirens. "I know, Fluttershy. I'm trying to not push myself, but the rest of you are busy, and Sonic is the most likely to head out on another mission. It'd be best if I keep looking so we're more prepared in the event one of us sees Infinite."

"Oh, okay." Fluttershy replied. "Where did you find these anyway?"

Twilight said, "Apparently the Resistance kept some of Tails' research around. As nice as it is to have learn all this information, none of it matches up with what we know about Infinite." she held the side of her head. "I hope the others are fine wherever they're at."

Fluttershy nodded in agreement. Maybe they should check with Knuckles and Amy for an update.

* * *

_**Meanwhile at Seaside Hill...**_

"Get down!"

Rainbow Dash tackled a soldier so they were able to avoid getting blasted by one of the E-2000's. She felt her sides burn, no doubt getting grazed in the crossfire. She stood up and wiped the burn mark, feeling a slight sting with her touch. "You alright, soldier?" she asked.

The wolf nodded, "Y-Yeah, I think so..."

"Awesome. Get to Rarity with a med kit or something, someone else wasn't so lucky." Rainbow said.

The soldier nodded and ran off, leaving Rainbow to duck for cover behind a rock formation. "These robots are a pain in the flank." she said, peeking at what's behind her. A number of robots were aiming their weapons directly at the Resistance. A bear leaped out for just a moment and shot a fireball from his Wispon, destroying one of the E-2000s. "Ugh. How long can these robots keep it up?"

The pegasus hovered next to Rouge, who was flying above the opposition. "Yo, Rouge. How many of these tin cans can you see? Cause it feels like we've been fighting them for hours!"

The bat looked ahead and said, "Still a bit. Should I call Big Red for some backup to wrap it up?"

"Pfft. Nah, I can take them all on!" Rainbow bragged, poking a hoof to her chest. She yelped when a laser barely grazed her mane, surprising her. Rouge rolled her eyes and dropped a bomb at the robot that did the deed, blowing them up. The pegasus chuckled, "Yeah, totally."

Rouge exhaled and landed on the ground. The spy bat pushed a Motobug aside before blowing up an E-20002 with a barrage of bombs. "If you insist." she teased.

Rainbow Dash dove down, leaving her rainbow trail behind her like usual, and rammed a hoof into one of the Egg Pawns, and then began to spin around it so fast she created a mini tornado. She swerved to the side of Rouge's bombs, taking some more bots out. "Yeah, we might have this one in the bag!" Rainbow bragged.

"Maybe. Just be sure your unicorn friend is ready to fight." Rouge spin-kicked back a robot before smashing another to pieces. The bat leaped and drilled down, taking out another drone from above. She smiled, watching as the soldiers pushed foward, destroying more of the robots with ease now that their numbers are draining. She had to admit that these ponies were more capable than she gave credit.

Before Rainbow could speak again, however, she was pushed aside by a mysterious yellow blur. "Ow! What the-?" she muttered, holding her aching head when she hit the rock wall. The cyan pegasus lifted her gaze upwards while she pushed herself back on her hooves. Standing on the grass and staring at her was a black hedgehog, red stripes on top of his raised quills.

"S-Shadow?" Rouge quietly gasped.

"Wait, Shadow? Isn't this the guy who betrayed you?" Rainbow Dash growled. "You're gonna have a lot to answer for by the time I'm through with ya!"

Shadow crossed his arms, "I have my reasons. And they don't concern you." he responded coldly, dashing so that he elbowed the pegasus in the face, launching her away.

"I can't believe you stooped this low, allying yourself with Eggman. We were friends, Shadow!" Rouge pleaded, getting into a fighting stance. She wanted to reach out to her comrade. The fact that the team they once formed was gone saddened her. If she could just reach out to Shadow, it'll be a win.

But Shadow only said, "I don't have friends."

Rouge frowned and decided to kick her former friend, which was blocked with ease. "This isn't you! Help the Resistance, Shadow!"

Then out of nowhere, a rainbow blur shot out from the distance and tackled Shadow, pinning him to the floor. "Alright, Shadow. You think you're so tough?"

"I can ask you the same question." Shadow huffed, driving his foot directly into Rainbow's torso, making her flip in midair. The pegasus got her bearings and dashed towards Shadow, swinging her hoof at his face. The hedgehog moved his head and responded with a well-timed jab to Rainbow's chest, making her gag.

When Rainbow tried to counter, Shadow grabbed her tail and tossed her aside. "You have some nerve for a colorful horse." the black hedgehog taunted. The cyan mare was smacked onto the ground, coughing up grass that fell in her mouth. When she spat the dirt out, she dusted herself off.

"I'm not just some 'colorful horse'! I'm the fastest flyer in all of Equestria!" boasted Rainbow. She unfurled her wings and took off. However, before she could reach Shadow, he suddenly teleported away. "Wha- huh? Where did he go?"

"Look behind you." Rouge suggested as she was nearing her former comrade.

Turning her head, the proud pegasus' demeanor fell when she noticed Shadow standing right behind her. Before she could get attacked, Rouge stepped in and drove the heel of her boot directly onto the tuft of fur on Shadow's chest. "That's enough, Shadow! Why are you even here?" Rouge wondered.

Shadow coughed and slid on the ground, his skates creating a trail of dirt on the grassy pathway, "To make sure your Resistance doesn't foil the doctor's plans."

"This doesn't sound like you, Shadow. Allying yourself with the doctor again? We thought you moved on from wanting destruction." Rouge stated.

Shadow huffed, "Clearly you don't know me then."

Rouge's mouth was agape. Did the team mean nothing? Did everything Shadow endure mean nothing? She couldn't believe what she was hearing from her old friend. "I guess you really are on the wrong side." she clenched her fist, "I'm sorry, Shadow..."

Rainbow zoomed next to the bat, "Yo, what's up?"

The spy sighed and finally said, "We'll have to hold off, Shadow. He's not listening to reason."

"Heh. Maybe I can force him to!" Rainbow said with a light chuckle.

The pegasus crouched down and zipped forward towards Shadow, ready to fight again. "Do you think you can take me on? The Ultimate Life-Form?"

Rainbow huffed, "I used to be called the Element of Loyalty for a reason. At least I'm not some coward who turns traitor against his friends." she spat at the black hedgehog.

"Just shut up and fight." Shadow snapped back. "As if I'm taking anything you say seriously."

"Alright, that's it!" the pegasus shouted, unfurling her wings again.

She rose upwards and dove down, intending to tackle Shadow. However, the Ultimate Life-Form snapped his fingers and next thing the pegasus knew, she was smacked aside when she got close to the ground. "Hmph. All talk and no fight as expected. I guess the doctor and his cronies were going soft on all of you this whole time." the cyan mare groaned as she struggled to push herself up, Shadow stepping on her back.

"That's enough, Shadow!" Rouge pleaded.

"Hmph. As if your words will change this."

Rouge sighed and leaped, kicking the black hedgehog's chest and pushing him off Rainbow's back. The pegasus groaned, her hooves feeling weak as she pushed herself up. The bat spun her body and legs and drove the side of her foot directly onto Shadow's hip, causing him to reel in pain. "Agh!" he grunted, flying through a line of robots, destroying them for the Resistance accidentally.

Shadow got his bearings and activated his hover shoes, thrusting himself back to his opponent. The hedgehog slammed his fist downward in an attempt to hit Rouge in the head. Luckily the bat backed away, causing Shadow to put his fist onto the ground. "Surrender yourself and maybe I'll go easy on you."

"As if!" Rainbow snarled, tackling Shadow.

The black hedgehog dished a right hook to Rainbow's face, and shoved her hooves off his body. The mare growled and drove her hindlegs towards Shadow's torso, knocking the wind out of him. Before she could continue, Shadow teleported again. "Where did you-" her eyes wandered around her surroundings to find her enemy.

She felt something wrap around her throat. Surprised, she turned her gaze and found herself and Rouge in Shadow's grip, where the two launched upwards with him. In an instant, Shadow released his grasp on the two heroes and tossed them. Rainbow managed to unfurl her wings and caught Rouge while in midair, the duo crashing on the ground next to a few soldiers. "Nice save, blue..." Rouge complimented while dusting her arms off.

Rainbow shook the cobwebs out her head and said, "Yeah, it could've been better though."

The soldier closest to them said, "Are you okay, Rouge?"

The bat responded, "I am. Just keep your eyes on the robots."

The soldier nodded. Then he felt tense once he spotted the black hedgehog glaring directly at him and the others, "I-I-Is that... Shadow the Hedgehog?"

"...It is." Rouge sighed. "I don't know how much longer we can keep this up..."

"As much as I hate to admit it... This guy packs a punch."

After a quick pause, Shadow said, "I expected more a challenge. Especially from you, Rouge."

Rouge exhaled, "Please, Shadow. Listen to us... You can still make this right."

"I'm done with hearing your words." Shadow snapped, teleporting across the field and elbowing Rouge's stomach and following up with a roundhouse kick to Rainbow Dash's cranium. The two were pinned to the floor and were unable to get up, "Tell Sonic that I wish to settle our rivalry once and for all. It's about time I faced a real challenge in decimating your Resistance."

Once he was done talking, Shadow vanished and the robots started to head back. "They're... Retreating?" a cat said. All the remaining robots were leaving the battlefield for seemingly no reason. Unless they were under Shadow's control of course.

"Yeah, we did it...!" Rainbow weakly cheered. "He better run!"

* * *

Rarity bandaged a soldier's bruised arm. She used her magic to manage each tool as fast as she could. The injured soldiers were currently kept within a large tent near the coast, far enough from the battlefield for the soldiers to rest.

"Oh my..." muttered Rarity. She watched a bear limp inside before collapsing from exhaustion. His comrades went forward and helped him up, "Why thank you." she said.

"No problem." the wolf said. "Hopefully the others are faring better."

"I agree. This battle has gone on for quite a while." the unicorn agreed with a heavy sigh. She peeked outside the tent, able to spot the battle finally ending at last. "Hm. It appears that is the case."

Stepping into the tent was Rouge and Rainbow Dash. "Yo, Rarity. You missed an epic fight." the pegasus bragged, her hooves trembling from exhaustion. "Egh... Man, I need a nap."

"Now isn't the time for your slacking, Rainbow Dash." Rarity said.

"Yeah yeah, I know." the cyan mare grumbled.

Rarity asked, "What happened? It looks like you two are more bruised than expected."

Rouge said, "We found Shadow."

"O-Oh dear..." the unicorn gasped, "I'm terribly sorry to hear that. I assume... your words didn't reach out to him after all?"

Rainbow groaned, "No! He's a huge jerk! This is the same guy who sacrificed himself for his world? I'm starting to find it hard to believe."

"Well, it's true." Rouge replied, "I just don't know what's going on with him now."

Rainbow patted her comrade's back with a wing as Rarity said, "Do not beat yourself up over this, Rouge. I am sure he can change his ways again. Now, perhaps it'd be wise if you had your wounds treated. As much as I don't want to admit it, our work isn't done yet."

"Darn right," Rainbow said.

"I'll tell the Commander the news." Rouge said, still slightly irked that Knuckles made himself commander. She put a finger to the communicator in her ear and said, "Rouge to Resistance. Come in."

_"We hear ya, Rouge."_ Knuckles said, _"What's the sitrep?"_

"Seaside Hill is cleared of Eggman's forces. Unfortunately we had a little run in with Shadow." the bat replied.

_"Shadow?"_ Amy asked.

Fluttershy said, "_T-The hedgehog?"_

"Yeah! He came looking for a fight and everything!" Rainbow added, joining the conversation. "He said he wants to face Sonic himself."

_"Of course."_ Knuckles replied, _"Actually it's perfect timing because Omega Squad just came back with awesome news. We found Omega!"_

A wide grin appeared on Rouge's face and she slyly said. "Really? Oh Red, if I could kiss you from here, I would! That's awesome news."

Knuckles stammered and cleared his throat. Rarity could just feel him blushing from where she's at and giggled at the mental image. _"Well, uh... Good to know. Return to the HQ immediately."_ he said, his voice suddenly dropping a few octaves.

"Heh." Rainbow chuckled.

Rarity smirked, "Well, it appears our work here is done. Once we clean up. It'd be wise to head back."

"Heck yeah. I want to rest so I can give Shadow a piece of my mind!" Rainbow said.

With the battle done, the team did what they had to do and set our back to their headquarters to await their next mission and so Rouge could reunite with Omega at last. Maybe things will turn out for the better.


	11. Mystic Jungle: Casino Forest & Aqua Road

Buddy walked into the main room. So far it had only been a few hours since the attack at the city on South Island. He noticed that the other team had returned from Seaside Hill and stopped once he spotted Rouge looking over Omega's deactivated body. "To see him this roughed up... Hopefully he can be fixed up." said Rouge.

Twilight replied, "As much as I want to help him, I wouldn't even know where to begin to do so. This is more advanced than any technology in Equestria. Is there anyone here can fix him?"

Sonic shrugged, "Tails is usually the brains of the gang, but we still have no clue on where he's at. If he were here, maybe you two could put your minds together to wake him up."

"You still don't know where he went?" Fluttershy asked.

The hedgehog shook his head, "Not yet. Knuckles is already having troops search for Spike as it is. If he wants us to find him, he'll do it when he's ready."

"I'm sorry about that. Maybe we can look for Tails if you want?" Twilight apologized.

Sonic waved a hand, "It's cool, Twi. Spike's safety is important to you, I get it. If it means focusing search efforts on him, that's fine."

Knuckles nodded, "There have also been reports that the Egg Dragoon's scrapped remains have been found in Green Hill during the battles I sent some of you to. Same case with Oil Ocean, I didn't send any troops to that sector."

"See? Told ya Tails was fine." Sonic assured, "Any updates besides that, commander?"

"Actually, yes. Amy recently discovered some life signals within the Mystic Jungle. None of them are giving off the same energy signature like with Infinite and the other rogues." Knuckles faced the lone red wolf, "Buddy. Are you up for another mission?"

Buddy slowly nodded. Better him to investigate he guessed. The echidna replied, "Good to hear. If it helps, this shouldn't be too dangerous. Just go there and see who's in the jungle." he handed the wolf a yellow lightning-bolt shaped device, "This is the Lightning Wispon. You can use it like an electric whip on any opposition. If you find a Wisp, you can also use the Light-Speed Dash."

Twilight spoke up, "...If I may, Knuckles. Shouldn't someone go with Buddy just in case it's a threat?"

Knuckles answered, "Good idea, Twilight. Any volunteers?"

**"ME!"**

Popping her head from the ceiling was none other than Pinkie Pie. Everyone except Sonic jumped in response to her sudden appearance, the hedgehog holding a laugh. Knuckles raised a finger and asked, "How did you- what-?!"

"Just let it be..." Twilight whispered.

"I was waiting here the whole time, silly! Of course I'll help! There could be some super meanies waiting for us in there!" Pinkie laughed, rubbing the commander's head.

Knuckles sighed, "...Okay then. I guess the two of you will head out immediately. Remember, your comms may stop working the closer you get to Eggman's old lab. Be prepared for anything."

Twilight silently gulped. She hoped that whoever was there wasn't out to hurt them.

* * *

Deep within the Mystic Jungle were three new arrivals. Tails, Spike, and the Sonic from the other timeline started walking down the path they landed in. The fox pressed a few buttons on his Miles Electric, "Okay, I'm deactivating the Chaos energy jammers. Now the others should be able to track us down soon." he spoke

"And we're here because Eggman's lab is shut down right?" Spike asked.

Tails replied, "Yeah. Because of that, this should be safe enough to rendezvous with the others."

The fox smiled sheepishly as he faced Sonic, "I know it's kinda weird to ask you to find Sonic. But I'm glad you're here to help us. Even if the circumstances aren't all that great."

"I'll say. At least you guys have experience with look-a-likes. Twilight was shocked when she met her doppelganger." Spike laughed.

Sonic nodded. If his doppelganger needed help, he wouldn't ever hesitate to do so, and he knew that the Sonic of this world would do the same for him. They were the same person after all. At the very least, he could say he made a difference with his sudden arrival. He shrugged at Tails, pointing at the neon lights in front of them.

"Oh yeah. Eggman turned these ruins into another casino zone for some reason." Tails explained.

"Casino zone?" Spike repeated.

"Eggman has a fascination with turning certain places into giant life-sized casinos. I can't even begin to explain it."

Sonic smiled. _Casino_? He loved those zones simply because of how hectic they could get. He went ahead, much to Tails and Spike's annoyance and he went down a small slope. On instinct he curled into a ball and felt something behind him push back before pressing forward, causing him to roll around a loop and over a slope, landing perfectly on his feet. Yep, it's just as fun as he remembered. He waved for his friends to follow him.

Spike blinked, "Uh... What the heck just happened?"

"I think we're in the life-sized portion of the area. Curl into a ball once we get down there, Spike. I have a feeling things are going to get a little bumpy." Tails warned.

"Oh boy."

The two rolled down the slope and awaited their fate. Suddenly, they were launched in the same spot as Sonic, the dragon screamed at the sudden force pushing him along. Tails landed on his feet while Spike fell stomach first with a groan. The fox knelt down and offered his friend a hand, "You okay, Spike?"

Spike groaned and raised his head, "Yeesh. I never want to do that again."

Tails helped the young drake up, "As much as I agree with you, I think this place has different plans."

Dusting himself off, Spike curiously asked, "How so?"

Without saying a word, Tails pointed to Sonic goofing around and jumping on the pinball bumper before it pushed him off, bouncing off the round bumpers in the air surrounding a slot machine. With precision, Sonic got to the higher floor and bowed once he was done.

"Oh." Spike paused, "Your world is weird."

"Maybe. Then again, you're also from a pretty bizarre world yourself." Tails quipped.

"Touche." Spike mumbled.

The fox scratched his head, "Y'know, I could probably fly us up there to make it easier."

"Nah. I want to experience this stuff for myself."

"Suit yourself."

Tails went first and jumped on a bumper, bouncing off a sphere and repeating Sonic's actions with ease. Spike took a slow step forward and slipped, accidentally bouncing at the wrong time and finding himself stuck in an eternal loop of bumpers, "S-S-S-Somebody stop t-t-this c-c-crazy thing!" he shouted each syllable per bounce. Luckily for him, he got his bearings and landed in the center of the slot machine.

"Oh no." Tails sighed. Sonic watched in awe.

The slots began to rotate, luckily landing on three pictures of Sonic's head. Suddenly, a bunch of rings flew in and surrounded Spike, surprising him. Sonic pumped his fist proudly at the sight. Once the machine was done, Spike somehow bounced his way to the platform Tails and Sonic were on. "Well... That was a thing."

Tails tapped his muzzle, "I guess. I'm surprised you got jackpot on one of those on your first attempt. Speaking of, the slots had _your_ face on them, Sonic." he pointed out to the small hedgehog, "But not this Sonic's for some reason."

"Yeah, that is pretty odd. You actually look different from the other Sonic after all." Spike added.

Sonic rubbed his chin. That was pretty weird, but he decided to brush it aside. The casino zones were already weird enough as it was. The three leaped down the next pathway and avoided the pinball-esque obstacles as much as they could. The hedgehog took the time to look around and noticed that the area was surprisingly empty. Void of any opposition or Eggman's defenses. Curious, he looked to Tails and made a few gestures to explain himself.

"What'd he say?" Spike asked.

Tails said, "He wanted to know why there isn't that much opposition. That's probably because Sonic and the others were already here and Eggman wanted to make this part less hostile since it is a casino."

"So Eggman resorts to casinos for money? That would probably explain all the robots we've seen." the dragon realized.

"Maybe. Sonic and I never thought hard about that." Tails replied.

The fox led his friends deeper into the ruins, spotting a giant neon-covered building in the background. "Whoa. It's like Las Pegasus." was all Spike could mutter out. "Is that where we need to go?"

"I don't think so. Eggman's lab is a little more discreet than that. Most of the time."

Sonic raised a brow at that. The last base he went to was shaped like a giant Eggman robot. Not really "discreet" in his mind. The hedgehog walked ahead of the others and got to the edge of a pit, spotting nothing but bumpers to guide them upwards. Unfazed, Sonic jumped first and timed his bounces so that he moved across the walls and reached the upper platform perfectly.

"...I know I wanted to practice my Spin-Jump, but do you think you can fly us up there, Tails?" the dragon asked.

Tails extended a hand, "Sure."

Spike gripped Tails' wrist and the two-tailed hero spun his namesakes around, allowing the both of them to reach Sonic with ease, the hedgehog tapping his foot impatiently. "Jeez. Sorry for wanting to play it safe." Spike muttered under his breath. Sonic again pointed behind him, wanting to get a move on.

While they walked, Tails asked, "So, Spike. You mentioned that you went to another world earlier. What was that like?"

Spike rubbed the back of his neck, "Uh... Pretty weird I guess. When we got there, we weren't ponies. Nobody in that world was actually. Twilight was able to walk on two legs and didn't have any fur on her body and I... Well... I turned into a tiny pet dog."

"A pet dog?" Tails repeated with a slight grin.

Sonic held his stomach and silently laughed at the idea of this dragon transforming into a tiny dog. Now he wished he and his doppelganger where there to witness it.

Spike looked at the ground in embarrassment, "...Yeah."

Noticing his friend's discomfort over their comment, Tails decided to change the subject, "From the sound of it, Twilight turned into a human when you got there."

"Human?"

"Yeah. There are a lot of them in our world. They pretty much live in certain regions separate from us. Depending on how this war goes, we might have to visit one of their cities to help." Tails explained.

Sonic thought to himself. He hasn't encountered any human in his world yet. He thought that he should do some exploring when he got back to his world to see what Tails meant.

"Huh. Never heard of them until we got to that world." Spike said with clarity.

"What were you doing in a different world anyway?" Tails asked.

The dragon started to explain, "Princess Celestia's old student, Sunset Shimmer, stole Twilight's crown so she could rule the other world. Twilight and I followed her to stop her, and after that she became good once she realized what she did."

"Oh. She stole the Element of Magic?" Tails deduced.

"Yes."

Sonic had to admit. He was kind of lost. From what he's hearing Equestria has a lot of potential adventures for him. Maybe he'd have to go and visit there too somehow. When he brought up the idea, Spike said, "I guess you can visit too. I just don't know how you'd get there. Heck, I still kinda don't know how I got here."

Once they were done conversing, the three found themselves on another downward slope. Sonic looked at his two-tailed friend. "Looks like another one of those bumpers. We should go together this time."

The trio jumped down and curled into a ball, letting the pusher pull back and launch them around the loop and over the incline, giving them enough momentum to move past the small pit. This time, Spike joined the experienced heroes in having a good landing from his Spin-Jump. Once they realized what had happened, Tails and Sonic applauded their friend, earning a humble bow in response.

"Thank you, thank you." Spike said.

Tails smiled, "Told you you'd get better at it." Sonic nodded in agreement.

"Heh. So how close are we now?"

Holding out his handheld to give a better answered, the fox said, "Not too far. The lab is an easy jog from here."

Sonic pumped a fist and ran first. This earned an eye roll from the others as they followed suit.

* * *

Pinkie Pie had her hooves wrapped around Buddy's neck as tight as she could as the wolf sprinted the both of them across the jungle. _"We're detecting the life signals moving closer to Eggman's old lab. Be prepared for anything and remember that your comms may go dark the closer you get." _Knuckles warned the new recruit and party pony.

"Okie dokie, Knux!" Pinkie replied.

The two ran into a cave and jumped off a ramp, landing on a slide filled with water. At this point, Pinkie let go of the wolf and raised her hooves happily, "Whee!"

_"What's happening now?"_ Rainbow asked.

"We're on a waterslide!" Pinkie cheered.

_"Wait what? Aw, I wish I was there."_ the cyan pegasus moaned in disappointed.

_"Me too. Pinkie's lucky."_ Charmy agreed.

Vector Espio and Twilight letting out a quiet sigh each was heard from the communicators in response.

Buddy did his best to stay on the path of the slide. However the force the water pushed him with made it a little more difficult than he wished. He placed his right palm on the surface to lightly push himself back to the center of the slide.

_"Hold on. I think some of Eggman's remaining robots are coming towards you." _Amy noticed.

Out of nowhere, Motobugs flew onto the scene and landed on the slide next to the heroes. Buddy was surprised to see some enemies in this area of all places.

"Whoa! How are we gonna smash them to itty bitty pieces here? We're busy sliding!" Pinkie wondered.

Buddy decided to do something and moved himself in the direction of one of the robots, using his momentum to push the Badnik off the slide to whatever awaited in the pit below.

"Oh..." Pinkie said. She mirrored the wolf's actions, causing one of the Motobugs to fall of as well. "Good idea Buddy!"

The wolf smiled at that. Good to know he was competent in the thinking department. Placing his hand around, Pinkie's hindleg, he made sure they both went in same pathway in the fork of the slide. More Motobugs appeared.

Pinkie bumped one of them off the side while Buddy found himself bouncing in between two of them, pushing them both off. "This is so much fun!" Buddy gave her a silent laugh, having fun as well.

His smile faded however, when he saw the slide end. In a haste he grabbed Pinkie and used his grapple to reach the jungle again. The two flipped and landed on the dry grass. Buddy and Pinkie shook their bodies to dry themselves off as best they could before wandering on. Pinkie skipped ahead and said, "Hey, Buddy! I think I found one of your Wisp friends!"

Pinkie glued her eyes to the capsule, seeing the yellow lightning-bolt shaped alien, "Aw. He looks trapped in there. Are you sad little fella?" she asked the creature.

_"Actually, Pinkie. From what I researched, the Wisps willingly agreed to put themselves in those capsules."_ Twilight revealed.

_"That sounds horrifying."_ Fluttershy asked.

Knuckles elaborated, _"It was admittedly mainly for distribution purposes in order to make the Wispons. But being in a capsule outside of that was mostly their decision. Mainly so the soldiers don't miss them. They've been quite a help for us."_

Buddy hummed. He always wondered how these weapons were made. Guess he learned something new here. Curious, he opened the capsule and the Wisp flew into his weapon. What got his attention was the hovering path of rings that aimed themselves over another waterslide not too far away. Curious, he grabbed Pinkie's hoof and aimed his Wispon forward, suddenly getting dragged along the trail of rings.

Once it ended, the two fell onto the slide. Knuckles took the time to compliment, _"I gotta admit. You're a fast learner, Rookie."_

"Right? He's a natural at this adventure thing!" Pinkie added.

Buddy smiled sheepishly. It wasn't that big of a feat he thought. Doing this just came naturally he supposed. He heard Knuckles say, _"Just don't go goofing around in the water."_

_"You jealous you aren't on the slide, Knux?"_ Applejack teased.

_"What? N-No."_ the commander studdered.

_"Ha! You totally are!"_ Rainbow laughed.

Rouge teased him, _"Should've known you never changed, Red."_

_"No. I totally did! I'm the awesome commander-"_ Buddy didn't hear the rest of the comeback. It looks like they were getting closer to Eggman's old lab. He gripped his left palm on the rim of the slide and moved down the left path. Pinkie followed him. Surprisingly there weren't any enemies on this path.

With that out of the way, Buddy grabbed Pinkie and grappled their way back to Eggman's lab. "Do you think we'll have to fight more meanies when we get their buddy?" Pinkie asked her friend. The wolf shrugged as an answer. "Yeah, I'm kind of hoping not. The city battle really left me pooped!" she added.

The two made their way through the lab in the jungle once they landed. Buddy noticed something glowing on the ground. Curious, he knelt down and examined it. It looked like a strange purple gem. Kinda like the one he saw Infinite have on that day. "Ooh. Shiny." Pinkie admired. "Don't let Rarity see or use it. It looks pretty important." Agreeing with his pink friend, Buddy hid the mysterious gem.

When he did, they froze upon hearing footsteps. Worried, Buddy held out his Wispon while Pinkie stood behind him. The first thing he spotted was a yellow two-tailed fox raising his arms. "Ah! We come in peace!" the fox shouted earnestly. Standing next to him was a strange purple dragon and... _Sonic_?

"Yeah. We're just looking for the Resistance!" the dragon chimed in.

As though she recognized the voices, Pinkie popped her head out and looked at the dragon. It was though they knew each other. "Spike? Tails? Is that you?"

A smile grew on Spike's face, "P-Pinkie Pie?!"

Suddenly, Pinkie became a pink blur and tackled Spike wrapping her in a bear hug. "Oh, Spike. You're here! Twilight's gonna be so happy when she finds out that you're safe! Heck, I'm happy that you're safe! You missed so so much since we got here!"

Spike managed a smile as he was starting to lose his breath in the bear hug, "That's... great, Pinkie... Need air..."

"Sorry!" Pinkie apologized.

Tails spoke up and waved, "Hi, Pinkie."

Pinkie immediately hugged the fox, "Hi, Tails! I'm super duper happy to see you too!"

"I can see that. It's great to see you too." Tails replied.

Releasing her grip on Tails, the pink party pony examined Sonic. "Hey, Sonic! You... Look a lot shorter. Did you become a kid?" she wondered, tapping her chin. Sonic tapped his foot at the comment.

"Oh yeah. This isn't exactly the same Sonic. It's kind of a long story." Tails explained. Pinkie hummed in understanding. He gazed at the wolf, "Have we met before?" Buddy shook his head at that. Although Buddy at least heard of him. He was talking to Tails, Sonic's best friend. How could he not know who he was?

"Tails, Spike, other Sonic, this is Buddy the Wolf! The newest member of the Resistance!" Pinkie introduced. Buddy awkwardly waved.

Spike was the first to respond, "Hey, Buddy."

Tails gave the new guy a handshake, "Nice to meet you, Buddy. How are Sonic and the others?" Buddy gave a thumbs up. "Good to hear."

The other Sonic only acknowledged Buddy with a wave. The new guy seemed alright, but he needed to see how well he handled himself in times of adventure to get a better opinion.

"So, uh, what now? Should we let the others know we're back?" Spike questioned.

"Not yet! We should make it an epic surprise when we show up!" Pinkie decided.

Sonic shrugged. Why not? He loved making a grand entrance. He looked to Tails and Spike, the latter saying, "Uh, okay I guess."

"Wait, really?" Tails whispered.

"Let Pinkie have her fun. I kinda miss it." Spike admitted, "Plus Sonic seems okay with it."

"Okay, Pinkie. We'll do that. We'll take the Tornado back. Just lead the way."

Pinkie clapped her hooves, "Yay! Now let's get back to the base!" Buddy scratched his head. Guess he was playing along. Oh well.

* * *

The door to the Resistance base opened, revealing Pinkie and Buddy. As of now, they only revealed that the source of the life signals were non-hostile people and that they were ready to help the Resistance. Everyone gathered around to meet these new allies. Confused, Knuckles was the first to ask, "Where are the people you mentioned?"

Pinkie giggled and shouted, "Come on down!"

"Sonic!"

Said hedgehog's mouth formed a grin as he recognized that voice from anywhere. "Tails!"

Flying into the base was indeed Tails, a grin on his own face. He wrapped his arms around Sonic's body, embracing him in a hug. Sonic returned the gesture. "I was so worried. I-I thought you were..."

Sonic chuckled, "Heh. You never had to worry. I was perfectly fine. It was you I was worried about."

The two ended their hug, the fox saying, "Really?"

"Yeah. You were knocked out with me and I didn't see you when I broke out." Sonic held his old friend's shoulders, "Everyone here was worried about you."

Releasing his grip on his friend, Tails looked at the ground in shame, "Sorry about that. I was just so scared. I-I thought I could take this on alone. That I'd just disappoint you all by being around you after Sonic vanished. But that didn't go well."

Amy walked to her friend and lightly jabbed her friend, "Don't ever run off like that again. Please."

"I won't, Amy. I promise."

"_Disappoint_? Dude, there will never be a day where you disappoint me." Sonic proudly told Tails. "Even when we got our butts handed to us by the bad guys and I got captured, I never once thought that you were the one who messed up. It was a tough battle. I'll admit it. Eggman and his goons screwed up, not us."

Twilight said, "We're just happy you're back, Tails. And that you learned to not handle things alone. Who else is with you?"

Tails smirked, "Alright, come on in."

Stepping into the door was Spike, who awkwardly looked at the base, looking at Sonic's friends. "Um, hi?" he greeted. His eyes then met a certain shocked alicorn's. His expression matching hers.

"Spike!" everypony but Twilight shouted in joy upon seeing their dragon friend safe and sound.

Twilight was stunned at what she was seeing. Spike was here this whole time. She thought he was back in Equestria. But all along he had been on this world. Both relief and concern washed over her. For a moment, those haunting thoughts vanished. Without a moment's hesitation, she hugged Spike the second he came closer to her. "I was so worried about you. I-I didn't know you were even here..." Twilight whispered.

"I don't blame you. The portal pulled me in after you. I'm sorry for scaring you like that." Spike replied.

"But you're safe with us now. Thank Celestia, that's all that matters now. I know I shouldn't be this _overprotective_, but-" Twilight said.

"It's okay, Twilight." Spike replied.

The alicorn let go of Spike and Rarity proceeded to hug him, "I'm glad you're okay, Spikey-Wikey."

Spike chuckled as he blushed, "Heh. T-Thanks, Rarity."

Once the unicorn let go, he embraced Fluttershy and Applejack. "I missed you both too."

"Same here, sugarcube." Applejack admitted.

"Me too." Fluttershy said.

Then there was Rainbow Dash, who gave him a hoof bump. "So, Knux was talking about a few things. That refinery and that Egg Dragoon thing got smashed. Were you there?"

"Yeah. I wasn't alone though at least." Spike answered.

"Nice!" Rainbow complimented.

Spike walked up to Sonic, who gave him a fist bump. "Nice seein' you again, dragon dude."

"Same here, Sonic." Spike replied. He then introduced himself to the rest of the Resistance.

Twilight whispered and got the fox's attention, "Tails."

"Yeah, Twilight?" the fox wondered.

"Thank you for keeping Spike safe." the alicorn said.

Tails said, "No problem, Twilight. I wouldn't let anything happen to him and honestly? I wouldn't have gotten as far as I did without his help. He had my back too."

"Well, I wasn't the only one helping you." the drake revealed.

"Really? Who else was there?" Charmy asked.

Finally, the third person stepped into the room. The Resistance seemed unfazed, but the ponies were a little confused by who they were looking at. "Sonic...?" Rainbow Dash whispered. Standing there glaring at the Equestrians was a shorter hedgehog that looked exactly Sonic, except younger.

The taller Sonic smirked and said, "Alright! Now this is a reunion I wasn't expecting!"

"He looks so cute." Fluttershy said. The other Sonic crossed his arms and rolled his eyes at the comment.

"Pardon me, sugarhog. But why does he look like ya and how do you know 'em?" Applejack muttered aloud.

Sonic high-fived the other Sonic and said, "That's because it _is_ me!"

"This Sonic is from an alternate timeline. We all met him when our Eggman met his Eggman and destroyed time and displaced him and the Tails of his time." Tails explained.

"His doppelganger?" Twilight deduced.

"Exactly." Tails answered.

"It's weird that he's even here. I don't remember his presence being recorded in history." Silver recalled. The smaller Sonic wondered if he was being called forgettable. Yeah right. He's been more than useful ever since he showed up, he thought.

Sonic spoke to his counterpart, "Well, it's awesome having you here too. You doing okay?" the other Sonic gave a thumbs up.

"Is the Knuckles or Tails of your world here as well?" Knuckles wondered. The other Sonic shook his head, basically telling him he's alone here this time. "Darn. That kinda stinks.

"What shall we call him? I believe calling two people Sonic might get a tad confusing after a while." Rarity wondered.

"I don't think he wants to get called _'Little Sonic'_ either based on his attitude." Rainbow said. The other Sonic put his hands on his hips. He wondered if teasing his height was going to be a thing now.

Vector shrugged, "I got nothing."

Pinkie raised a hoof, "I got it!"

Espio said, "What is it, Pinkie?"

The party pony pointed to the taller Sonic, "We'll call him **Modern Sonic** since looks new-ish..." she then pointed to the shorter Sonic, "And we'll call him **Classic Sonic** since he looks like a throwback hero! The readers probably expected this to happen, but it works better like this if you ask me."

"Sure, Pink." Rouge murmured.

"I guess it works." Vector said.

"It's easier I suppose." Twilight agreed.

Modern Sonic cracked his knuckles, "Looks like it's settled. What do you think, _Classic_ Sonic?" he confidentally asked his doppelganger, earning a nod.

Tails spoke up, "As fun as the reunions were, I wish we came here with better news. While we were in Green Hill, the three of us overheard Eggman's latest scheme. He has something planned for us three days from now."

"Did he say what it was?" Twilight wondered.

"No. He was being secretive and told us nothing." Spike revealed.

After his drake friend spoke, Tails raised a finger, "But he did say something about the Phantom Ruby Prototypes."

Classic Sonic blinked and raised a hand upon hearing that. "What's up, me?" Modern wondered. Classic did a few gestures to explain, "So you were battling your world's Eggman and his new robot cronies for something called the Phantom Ruby right before you got here? Yeah, something tells me this is connected."

"How did you understand him? He didn't say a word." Twilight questioned Modern.

Modern Sonic gestured to Classic Sonic, "Considering we're the same person, I know that I let my actions speak instead. Back then, words really weren't necessary."

"That's weird." Rainbow said bluntly. Classic Sonic rolled his eyes yet again.

"From the sound of it, Eggman might know about the Phantom Ruby here. Don't know how, but I guess it's up to us to find out." Tails realized.

Twilight added, "Most likely. And it might be the very thing Infinite used to bring us and all our enemies here."

"So what are we going to do now?" Fluttershy asked.

Modern Sonic smirked and put his hands on his hips, "We'll just have to do what we heroes do best: Kick bad guy butt and save the world once again. Eggman and his cronies think they have us on the ropes, but this is just another challenge we'll overcome. We've done it before and we'll do it again."

"Now you're speaking my language!" Rainbow bragged.

"As much as the idea of war bothers me. I'm glad to be among such good friends like you all to overcome it." Twilight said. "We can end this like Sonic said, but we have to do it together."

"I learned that lesson the hard way." Tails chimed in. "Now that we're finally reunited, I think it's time we hatched a plan to take down Eggman once and for all."

"I'm with ya, bro." Modern Sonic said. "We got this in the bag!"

Classic bumped his chest and Buddy smiled. The whole Resistance cheered. Everyone was back and even if none of the Eggman Empire were defeated during this reunion, at least they could take satisfaction in uniting as a better team than before. The tables have turned in their favor now.


	12. City: Sunset Heights

Tails, Spike, Classic Sonic and Rouge all grouped around the silent E-123 Omega, who was placed in a small lab. Tails examined the deactivated robot in the base. "I'm glad you guys found him. I... Wasn't exactly able to fix him up without my equipment and couldn't bring him along after I left. Any idea on what happened to him?"

"He was on a mission in Green Hill a day before the takeover. Most likely he was put down by Infinite." Rouge said.

"Hm. Now that I have some good equipment around, I should be able to fix him back up at least." Tails agreed.

Classic Sonic scratched his head. He didn't remember seeing this robot the last time he was in this world. Curious, he gestured to Tails, who responded, "Oh yeah, you didn't meet Omega last time. Don't worry, he may have been designed by Eggman, but he hates him just as much as we do."

"Wait, he was designed by Eggman?" Spike asked.

"I wouldn't worry about him turning traitor, lizard. He has it out for the doctor and that's not changing anytime soon. It makes sense considering he locked Omega away for so long." Rouge assured the dragon, "I found him when... Well, that's kind of a long story in itself."

Close by, Modern Sonic, Rainbow Dash and Twilight decided to overwatch the Resistance's final defense in the city back on South Island. Based on what they're hearing, it wasn't looking too good. Their forces were being taken out one by one.

"What the heck is going on in the city? The Resistance is getting trashed out there!" Rainbow Dash wondered.

Knuckles said, "That's what we're trying to find out, Rainbow."

"If you can be quiet for a minute, we can figure that out." Amy scolded the pegasus.

"Jeez, fine."

Then their communicators went off, _"Hmph. You better be getting this message."_ said a cold voice.

Sonic put a hand to his ear, "Yeah, we hear you Shadow. What do you want now?"

"Yeah! You got some nerve calling after picking a fight with Rouge and me!" Rainbow added.

"This better be you realizing you've been acting like an idiot these past few months." Sonic quipped.

Shadow huffed, _"I'm not the idiot around here. Listen, Faker. It's about time we settled things once and for all. Meet me on South Island."_

Sonic smirked, "Alright, Shadow. It's on now!"

"Sonic, are you sure you should be heading out there? Shadow looks to be equal to you." Twilight wondered.

The blue hero shrugged, "True, but Shadow and I fought countless times before and most of them usually involve me beating him to a pulp by the end. He wants to handle things mano a mano, so I'm gonna play by his rules."

"But this time could be different! What if it's a trap! What if Infinite's there? What if-?" Twilight stammered on worriedly while holding her now sore head.

Sonic raised his hands, "Whoa, chill Twi. Shadow's not one to back down from a challenge when he gives one. I've known him long enough to figure that out. I'd rather be the one to take him down."

"Alright, but you might want to bring some backup to hold back the Death Egg Robots and Badniks." Knuckles suggested.

The hedgehog put his hands behind his head, "Yeah, I can do that. So long as none of them show up to fight Shadow of course. That's my thing... I'll ask Silver, Vector, Charmy, Rarity and Pinkie to tag along." he decided.

"You can't possibly think that I'll sit back while you get to fight Shadow by yourself. I got a bone to pick with him too!" Rainbow spat.

"That's exactly what will happen, Dash." Sonic scolded, "...Look. If I need backup, I'll call for you. Alright?"

"...Fine." grumbled Dash.

"What about Tails? Wouldn't you like him to come along?" Amy suggested.

Sonic shrugged, "As much as I want him and me fighting together like old times, I kinda want to give him a break after everything that's happened. That and..." he glanced over to his old friend conversing with Classic Sonic and Spike as he was rebuilding Omega, "He seems to be enjoying the company."

"Well, alright then. Get prepped to head out in a few minutes. I'll let everyone else know about this." Knuckles said.

Twilight bit her lip and felt an empty feeling in her gut. She had a hunch that something was going to go wrong at any point. Sonic going alone to face once of the villains was a risky move. This was one of the reasons she had been so... relunctant to go on missions lately. Maybe that will change, but at the very least she needed to figure out how to clear her head.

So, she walked over to Tails, Spike, and Classic Sonic and tapped the displaced hedgehog's shoulders. "Tails?" she quietly asked. "Can I ask you for a favor?"

"Yeah, sure." Tails said.

"Twilight? Are you okay?" Spike asked his friend.

"I am, Spike. Just a little concerned with this whole war is all. I'm doing a little better now though." Twilight said.

"That's good to hear. Do you need us to help at least?" Spike wondered as he pointed to himself and Classic Sonic.

Twilight pondered for a moment, then said, "I don't think so."

* * *

The team arrived in the burning city on South Island. Vector was the first to speak among the group, "Alright, crew! The mission is simple. We clean up the remaining few robots in the city while Sonic goes searchin' for Shadow!" he reminded them.

"My goodness! This city looks horrible! How long has this gone on for?!" Rarity screamed at the sight of constant destruction thanks to the Death Egg Robots and Badniks terrorizing the city.

"It's been like this for a while, Rarity. It's a miracle it's still intact." Sonic admitted, "But it won't be looking like this within the next few days. Cover for me!" he zipped away to find his rival.

A loud stomp shook the ground, and the group looked up. Towering over them was another Death Egg Robot. "Let's smash this one up too!" Charmy cheered.

"T-T-That's a Death Egg Robot?!" Rarity gasped. "How are we supposed to be rid of that?!"

Pinkie Pie giggled as she revealed her Party Cannon, placing Charmy in there, and pulling the string, allowing the bee to bash his way through the torso of the metal being. "Like that!" the party pony said.

"Well, I think the rest of us have to resort to less... cartoony methods obviously." Silver dismissed.

"Oh." Pinkie replied.

"Takin' down these giant tin cans won't be much of an issue, Rarity. We just gotta break through 'em and aim for the heads. Call it a detective's intuition." Vector assured while cracking his knuckles.

"Or common sense." Silver muttered as he opened his palm.

Rarity raised a brow, as she took a small step back from the giant bot. She watched as the silver hedgehog pushed the bot back, covering its legs in a green aura. The unicorn used her magic to levitate her crocodile ally into the air. Vector curled into a ball as he was thrown directly towards the robot's eyes, causing it to short-circuit and fall at last. As he fell, Charmy flew up and grabbed him, putting him down back where he started. "Nice one! I didn't know you ponies could do that!" he complimented.

"Why thank you." Rarity replied, wiping the sweat off her head.

"That was so cool!" Charmy cheered. "Now we just have to keep that going for a while longer."

"W-What?"

Silver hovered in his spot and grabbed a piece of debris from a destroyed building. With a shove, he threw it at the next robot, distracting it for a moment. Pinkie Pie hopped on the body of the deactivated robot and leaped, her hoof gripped by Charmy, who was flying. "Hey, giant mean robot!" she called out. A second later, the party pony threw a pie at the robot's face, causing its head to turn in confusion. "Ha! That never gets old!" she laughed.

Silver went higher and pushed the robot downwards with his powers, causing to fall on its back. Vector curled into a ball again and dashed through its entire body with ease, coming out of the top of its head a moment later. The silver hedgehog got back on the floor, a little weary from pushing the robot. He then did the same to another robot a few feet over, dropping that one without any help.

"My word. I didn't think your powers were that strong, Silver." Rarity said to the time-traveler.

Silver panted, "It just takes a lot out of me though. That's the last time I'll be doing that for a while."

Vector pointed at the robots coming for them. "We'll give ya some time to recharge Silver!"

Pinkie grabbed Rarity and aimed her horn at the oncoming Badniks. The pink pony pulled on the unicorn's tail, causing Rarity to shoot magic at the Motobugs, Coconuts and Slicers charging after them. Once they were destroyed, Rarity dusted herself off and adjusted her curly tail, "Must you do that, Pinkie?"

"It worked against the Changelings didn't it?" Pinkie retorted. Rarity narrowed her eyes at her friend's antics, not choosing to respond for the moment.

"You have to teach me how to do that." Charmy said to Pinkie.

"Uh, I'd rather we not do that, Charmy." Vector said.

"But you did that with me and Espio before." Charmy responded.

"That was different!" Vector sighed. "We were on a very specific case!"

"As a sleuth myself, I do not know what kind of case requires... That." Rarity replied.

"Ah forget it, let's just-" Vector

A flash of white appeared out of nowhere and roundhouse kicked Vector in the head, throwing him aside. A black hedgehog landed on a knee, his fist on the floor. "I must admit, I'm disappointed. None of you are what I consider a challenge."

**"Shadow!"** Silver shouted.

"So, you're the ruffian Rainbow Dash and Rouge spoke about." Rarity realized.

The Ultimate Life-Form scowled, "And you're nothing more than another equine to stomp on."

"What?!"

Silver extended an arm and tried to entrap Shadow in his aura, "That's enough out of you!" he was straining to hold him, still worn out from trashing the Death Egg Robot from moments ago.

Vector stumbled back to the black hedgehog. However, Shadow broke free from Silver's grip and punched Vector once more, the crocodile blocking it with his arm. "Payback time!" Vector shouted, shoving the villain aside with his palm. The Ultimate Life-Form hissed.

"Hey, Shadow! I thought you were cool! Why are you doing this now?!" Charmy called out to Shadow.

"You thought _he_ was cool? He's nothing more than a big fat meanie now!" Pinkie shouted.

"I don't care about your opinions of me. I'm only here to do what I have to." Shadow stated nonchalantly. He moved forward and kicked Charmy with ease, moving towards Pinkie.

Pinkie was about to move out of the way, but Shadow teleported and grabbed the party pony by the tail. "Hey! Let go!" she said as they ascended.

"If you say so." Shadow said in a snarky tone. He spun around and threw Pinkie Pie down as hard as he could, denting the ground once she fell. He landed and looked at the pink mare groaning in pain.

"Pinkie Pie!" Rarity ran to her friend. She looked down and tried to help Pinkie up, but was blindsided by the black hedgehog, who tackled her in the blink of an eye. The unicorn performed a quick spell and blasted Shadow with a small sphere of magic, making him let go. Rarity slid her hooves on the ground to adjust herself.

Pinkie Pie got up and said, "Get away from Rarity...!"

Shadow said, "Hmph. You're still standing. Seems I have to rectify that." he threw his arms back, yellow sparks emitting from his palms, _"Chaos Spear!"_

"Ah!" Pinkie screamed, getting hit by the electric projectile. She fell facefirst on the floor. Shadow added onto this by kicking her aside in one swift motion, throwing her through a building.

"What in Equestria was that?!" Rarity gasped. Shadow turned around and threw another Chaos Spear at Rarity, the unicorn blocking it with a force-field spell. The energy faded once it collided with her barrier. Once she dropped it, Rarity blinked and suddenly found Shadow standing directly in front of her.

Before the black hedgehog could do anything, Charmy headbutted their adversary, causing him to grunt. He grabbed the bee by the throat and slammed him on the floor before throwing him aside. Before Charmy could stand back up, Shadow stomped on his back, making sure he was down for the count.

"Charmy!" Vector shouted. He curled into a ball and smacked his enemy as hard as he could. "Don't ever lay a finger on him again!"

Shadow was silent and tried to move again, but was trapped by Silver again. The time-traveler said, "It's no use. Take this!" he screamed, throwing Shadow into the air with a thrust of his arms. Rarity hit him with another beam of magic as he descended. However, Shadow managed to adjust himself and land on his feet. He teleported and punched Vector before vanishing again. "Where did he-?" Vector tried to question his opponent's whereabouts, but was pushed aside again. This time, Shadow added on by driving his foot directly onto Vector's head, knocking him out as well.

Silver finally mustered enough energy to keep Shadow trapped again. The Ultimate Life-Form gritted his teeth. "Finish this, Rarity! I can only hold him down for so long!"

Rarity shot a beam of magic at Shadow, grazing his body slightly. Then she raised her head and added on with another sphere of electricity, shocking her opponent for a moment. But before she could continue, Silver collapsed to a knee, still weary from using his powers, freeing Shadow from his grip. Rarity's eyes widened. "Oh dear..." she placed a barrier around herself right as Shadow's fist hit it, creating a small crack. The unicorn gulped at that.

Silver charged after Shadow in a green blur. The silver hedgehog decked Shadow directly in the face. This distraction allowed Rarity to lower her guard for a moment as she lifted some leftover debris. It took all she could to lift a piece of the Death Egg Robot at Shadow. The black hedgehog scowled and jumped, Spin-Dashing right through the metal projectile and hitting Rarity with a Homing Attack. The unicorn was knocked on her back and tried to stand up, but Shadow pressed his foot on her stomach and kicked her down. "P-Please stop..." she muttered and tried to stand up once more, but Shadow ended their feud with a Chaos Spear one strong enough to break through the unicorn's barrier, causing her to fall over from her injuries.

Silver tried to lift some more debris up and throw them at Shadow, but the black hedgehog managed to dodge and tear them apart. He snapped his fingers and shouted, _"Chaos Control!"_ right as Silver tried charging after him again. Time seemed to slow down for Shadow, allowing him to run forward and roundhouse kick Silver directly in the back of the head, making him keel over once Shadow's ability faded. Silver raised a fist and tried to hold Shadow down again, but couldn't due to how tired he was. He panted heavily and closed his eyes.

"Pathetic. All of you here, and you still couldn't defeat me." Shadow hissed. He punched Silver in the face and threw him aside, waiting for Sonic to arrive and see what he's done.

* * *

Sonic leaped off the balcony he was standing on. Still no sign of Shadow, he realized. He grabbed a zipline, placing him into a small plaza area. In the distance he could see the Death Egg Robots tearing things apart. He continued on his path, spotting a line of Egg Pawns in his path. "Really? This is the only defense Egghead's got left? This is just sad now!" he laughed.

The hedgehog boosted through the robots and found more Wisps, who offered to spare him their energy to keep going. He waved to the friendly aliens before running around another loop. He put a finger to his ear and spoke, "Yo, guys. How are things on your end?"

_"Sonic, help..."_ Pinkie groaned through the communicator.

"Pinkie? What's wrong?" Sonic asked.

_"It-It's Shadow... Too tired to keep fighting..."_ Silver grumbled.

Sonic leaped off a spring and grinded on a rail, going around another building and landing on the sidewalk. He bounced off a spring and used his Homing Attack to chain an attack on a couple Bubbles Badniks floating in the air. Once he was done that, he hopped off another spring and grabbed a vertical zipline, swiftly yanking him upwards. He spotted the black hedgehog waiting for him across the tile street. With ease, Sonic ran down to confront his rival. And the sight wasn't one to behold and admire.

"Hmph. It's about time you showed up slowpoke." Shadow huffed, turning away from the unconscious bodies of Sonic's allies. The hero's eyes widened at the sight of his friends beaten by his former ally.

"_Shadow_! What have you done?!" Sonic asked in anger. Shadow didn't say a word and instead charged after him. Shadow elbowed Sonic and launched him through a couple buildings. Sonic shook the cobwebs out of his head and glared at the black hedgehog who attacked him.

Sonic slowly stood up and swung a fist at Shadow. "Urgh. Come on, Shadow. What's your beef? Why are you doing this?!"

"You know what this is about, Faker. I'm here to fulfill the vengeance I promised so long ago." Shadow stated.

"Shadow, dude. We've been over this before. You're not a bad guy anymore! This isn't what Maria would've wanted!" Sonic pleaded to his rival.

"This is _exactly_ what she wanted! For me to avenge her death! All this time I was playing hero, and Infinite made me realize that it was all a lie! I saw the truth at last, and nothing is gonna change this. It's time I fulfilled my destiny." Shadow growled at his rival. "I told the doctor to eliminate you that day, and he didn't listen. I guess I have to do the dirty work myself."

Sonic sighed, "Well, if it's down to this, then I'm sorry, Shadow. Sorry that you've become such a moron while I was gone."

Shadow shouted and lunged a fist at Sonic. The blue blur moved his body to the side and responded with a kick to Shadow's muzzle, knocking him back slightly. The Ultimate Life-Form hissed and reared his arm back while saying, _"Chaos Spear!"_

Suddenly, a yellow electric projectile shot out of Shadow's hand and towards his rival. "Whoa!" yelped Sonic as he leaped back away from it at a moment's haste. "So we're using our skills now, huh? Alright, guess I have to show off too!"

Sonic charged a Spin-Dash and jumped back, shooting out a powerful blue gust of wind at Shadow, forcing him to counter with another Chaos Spear, nullifying it. "Guess you're better at handling my _Sonic Wind_ than I remember."

With his hover shoes, Shadow boosted towards Sonic once more. Sonic smirked and boosted as well. Once the two hedgehogs collided, they launched into the air. Shadow curled into a ball and used his Homing Attack, hitting Sonic directly in the chin. The blue hero reeled his aching head back in response.

Sonic then performed a bicycle kick on Shadow, getting a good hit on him. The two zipped around and clashed their feet together in an attempt to kick each other, nothing happening as a result. The two brought themselves back to ground level. Sonic curled into a ball and charged a Spin-Dash, but strangely enough, orbs of light began to surround him. Seeing what he had planned, Shadow mirrored his rival's actions. Once they were done, they got into running stances.

**"Ready!"** Sonic said.

**"Feel my power!"** Shadow said.

The two vanished in swift blurs once they used their Light-Speed Attacks, sparks emitting everytime their ball forms collided with one another. Sonic bounced and punched Shadow, getting an elbow to the muzzle as a response. With that, the hedgehog performed a spin-kick on his rival right as he charged a Chaos Spear.

Once the energy faded, Sonic and Shadow finally began moving at normal time once more. The blue hero jumped off the wall of a building and performed a Homing Kick, then when he landed, did a handstand to adjust himself. "So, Shadow. Backing down anytime soon?"

"I don't plan to." Shadow said. He then started to skate towards Sonic, driving his elbow directly onto his chest. Sonic was pushed back slightly and growled in pain.

Sonic then retaliated by using his Sonic Wind technique again, sending Shadow backwards a few feet. The black hedgehog teleported and uppercutted Sonic in the face, adding onto his attack with a drop-kick. The blue hedgehog landed on the floor and said, "Heh... Got anymore tricks? Cause I can keep going." Sonic stood up and ran after his rival to counterattack.

Crossing his arms, Shadow chose not to respond and instead growled, pushing Sonic back with a powerful red aura. Sonic's eyes widened once he realized what Shadow was doing. "Oh crud..." he gulped. Sonic realized Shadow was about to cover them all with his Chaos Blast, a powerful Chaos-based attack. He was ready to stop this and boosted forward.

"Shadow! Have you lost your mind?!"

_"Chaos..."_

Before Shadow could finish or Sonic could attack him, something, or someone, smacked the black hedgehog in the back of the head, causing him to stop and the red aura started to fade. "Who dares?!"

Sonic smirked at the sight of his old friend uncurling and landing on a knee next to him. "Nice of you to drop in, Tails. What brings you to this little party?"

"Twilight suggested I come here for backup. I'm not sure why that is though." Tails replied.

"Really? That's odd. I thought it was Amy. Well, it doesn't matter since you're here anyway. You wanna help me?" Sonic asked Tails, who eagerly nodded.

"Of course!" Tails replied proudly.

"You're correct in that it doesn't matter, Faker. Because I'll be sure to destroy you both. You and the fox-boy." Shadow remarked.

Sonic pointed at his rival, "Not gonna happen, dude. I can normally thrash you by myself, but with Tails by my side? Yeah, you're toast!" he glanced over to Tails, "Let's show him how it's done!"

The fox activated his arm cannon, "With pleasure!"

Tails shot at Shadow, the black hedgehog nullfying the energy sphere with a Chaos Spear. The fox ran forward and spun his namesakes around, smacking Shadow. Tails leaped back as Sonic hit Shadow with a Spin-Dash before adding on with a spin-kick to his muzzle. Shadow hissed out, "You're going to regret that."

"I'm thinking... _Nah_." Sonic quipped. He punched Shadow directly in the face, "That's for my friends!"

Tails charged his Energy Ball Blaster again and aimed it at his enemy, shooting Shadow in the chest, "That's for turning traitor!"

Sonic backflip-kicked Shadow while he was in midair, his foot being driven directly onto his rival's chin, "And that's for kicking our butts that day! Yeah, I'm holding a grudge! Deal with it!" Tails retaliated by shooting him before adding on with a Spin-Jump attack. The flying fox then gripped Sonic's hands.

Shadow was slammed hard on the surface, creating a small crater on where he landed. "What-?"

Tails began to spin around with Sonic in his grip, the two of them becoming blurs. The fox then threw Sonic down as he curled into a ball, bouncing off the stunned Shadow. The Ultimate Life-Form sneered at the act and jumped up. "That all you got?"

"Nope!"

The duo finished off the battle with a Rolling Combo, ramming into Shadow and incapacitating him for good. Sonic and Tails both glared at Shadow's unconscious form, some cubes showing up but fading at last, "Uh, this is weird. Normally they just kinda fade away by now."

"You noticed that too? It's weird how Shadow isn't though." Tails pointed out.

The two heard a growl, and found Shadow waking up, holding his sore head, "What happened?"

Sonic folded his arms, "Yeah, sure. You know what you did, Shadow."

"I could do without the snark, Faker." Shadow growled. "The last thing I remember, I saw Infinite..."

Tails raised a brow, "_Infinite_? What are you talking about? Do you not remember?"

Shadow huffed at the fox, "No, I don't. Now can one of you fill me in?"

"Okay, I'll play along. You showed up six months ago, kicked my butt and then helped Eggman take over the world. That clear it up?" Sonic told his rival.

"For your information, I don't remember any of that."

Tails raised a finger, "Wait, but you said you remember Infinite?"

Shadow nodded, "I did. He did something to me."

"Like what?"

"Infinite detained me six months ago and told me about that atrange object on his chest. He bragged that it can manipulate reality along with one's perception of it. He must've altered my own perception of reality to turn against you all." Shadow revealed.

"But every other one of Eggman's elite we faced vanished except you. Why?" Tails realized.

Shadow folded his arms, "Those were **fakes**. As I said, Infinite could manipulate reality too. The ones that vanished aren't real, but are just like the real thing in almost everyway."

"I think it'd be best if you explained this back at HQ so everyone knows what's going on." Tails suggested.

"But we should get the others first." Sonic said, looking at his unconscious friends, glaring at his counterpart. Shadow closed his eyes in disappointment at himself.


	13. Metropolis: Capitial City

Twilight was in complete shock.

For what looked like miles, she saw nothing but flames and destruction and a destroyed city in the distance. Robots tearing apart buildings, soldiers lying on the floor in the defeat, Wisps were seen panicking and flying out of their Wispons, and her friends...

The Resistance was beaten, bruised, and their unconscious forms scattered across the wasteland. Twilight gazed up in horror as changelings and robots buzzed through the polluted skies. She had no idea what was going on or what to do, but she took a step. It was a slow step, but she needed to do something.

Twilight's eyes were bloodshot, her ability to breathe weakened by the smoke covering the area. She coughed, tears running down her face after witnessing the chaos for what felt like the thousandth time. Putting a hoof to her muzzle, she did her best to conceal all the pollution roaming the wasteland.

She turned around, but was greeted by a ghastly sight. Behind her, Twilight saw them. The Eggman Empire, and leading them was the doctor himself in a walking mech. She needed to hurry because there wasn't much she could do alone, and she knew that.

Ducking down, the alicorn lightly poked Rainbow Dash, "Rainbow Dash. Come on... Wake up..."

No response. Biting her lip, Twilight turned around and saw the villains coming closer. She picked up the pace and found a red wolf lying on his back, his glasses shattered and smashed right next to his hand, his Wispon broken as well. "Buddy...?" Twilight gasped out.

With time running out, Twilight reached to the small dragon next to Tails and Classic Sonic. The alicorn put a hoof to her chest in distraught, "No..." she mouthed, words unable to escape her at this point. Luckily, she noticed his body moving, indicating that he was breathing.

Realizing she didn't have much longer to plan, Twilight ran to the blue hedgehog and red echidna. "Sonic, Knuckles. Wake up!"

Nothing was said.

"Please... Wake up!" Twilight begged once more, violently shaking their bodies.

Nothing again. Twilight hung her head as she tried to gasp out another plead for help, but was cut off by the sound of a voice.

"Are you alone and scared, little pony?" came the mocking voice of Dr. Eggman himself.

Twilight froze and slowly turned her head around at the ensemble of rogues standing before her. She trembled in fear at their presence, especially the masked jackal that was floating. "If you hadn't foiled my plans before, it wouldn't have come to this." Eggman revealed, touching his moustache.

"W-What...?" the alicorn gasped.

Chrysalis laughed, "We wanted to dispose of you and your annoying friends after so long. And now we can do just that."

"No please... Take me, but don't hurt my friends anymore. They don't deserve this fate..." Twilight begged.

"The Princess of Friendship begging for her friends. How adorable. Such a shame I'll turn that offer down and destroy you all instead." the mad scientist revealed.

Infinite opened a palm, _"Shall I be rid of her doctor?"_

Twilight was in shock, she couldn't move a muscle. She admitted it, she was afraid of Infinite. The princess heard Eggman chuckle darkly, "Go right ahead!"

Twilight immediately found herself seeing nothing but red...

* * *

Twilight shook her head and realized she must've zoned out and had another one of her nightmares. Her vision cleared itself and was greeted by Knuckles, who was folding his arms, "Twilight? Were you listening to a word I just said?"

"Huh? Oh, uh, I mean, can you repeat it?" Twilight studdered. She looked at her surroundings, noticing Rainbow Dash, Applejack, Amy, and Fluttershy standing with her.

"Jeez, Twi and everypony thought I was a slacker." Rainbow Dash remarked.

The alicorn cleared her throat and said, "I'm sorry, Knuckles. I was just... Thinking is all."

Knuckles and Amy raised a brow at that hesitation, but the commander decided to repeat what he said, "Okay, since you weren't paying attention, I'll just have to start over. We noticed that Eggman's defenses are lowered in his capital, Metropolis. The last thing the doc would expect at this time is an all-out offensive strike from the Resistance."

Amy pointed a finger at the echidna, "How long did it take you to hatch this little plan of yours by the way?"

"..." Knuckles paused, "Five minutes?"

Twilight's eye twitched and she said, "Five minutes?! Knuckles this is a bad idea! We need more time to plan! To coordinate! Things could easily go wrong! At the very least we should wait for everyone else to come back-"

Knuckles replied, "We might not get an opportunity like this again, Twilight. This is war, and in war, we need to act for the better of our cause. This might be the only time we can strike Eggman like this and we can't afford to lose it."

"Ah'm with Twi on this one, Knux. Yer pullin' quite a gamble by attackin' Eggman dead center in his city." Applejack added.

"Come on guys. Knuckles is right. We gotta act first instead of think first sometimes. I'm all for breaking into Eggman's city and trashing his army out at the center."

"Well that's because yer a thrill-seekin' pony, Dash. This isn't a game or some competition. We're actually fightin' for our worlds here." Applejack reprimanded.

Rainbow spat, "I know that! But we're completely out of our element here! What other option do we have?"

"We can wait." Twilight countered.

Knuckles inhaled and said, "Twilight... We've been fighting a hopeless war for sixth months and the only reason why got this far is because of you girls and Sonic reigniting hope back into our cause. We're on a three-day deadline since Eggman has something planned and with Eggman already in the middle of plotting while his forces are scattered, now is the best time to strike back and delay that deadline."

"And possibly risk not only our lives, but every single one of the soldiers involved!" Twilight snapped, aware of the serious risks brought on by this random attack.

Rainbow said, "We risk our lives a lot, Twi. These guys have been at this constantly for months now. They know the risks. What's so different about it this time?"

Applejack rubbed her head, "The difference is that we'd be runnin' right into Eggman's city. Fer all we know, he'd be well-prepared for us showin' up at his doorstep. Ah'm sorry, but this a mighty dumb idea. How can you be so calm about this, Rainbow?!"

"I just want to pull Eggman by the mustache and stop our enemies before they hurt more people." Rainbow replied.

"Of course, because all ya care about is action." Applejack snapped back with a roll of her eyes.

"Uh oh." Fluttershy whispered.

Rainbow, clearly offended, growled and stomped forward saying, "That's not true! I care about you girls and everyone in the Resistance! But this isn't Equestria! We're in a new world and we're at war! Is it so wrong to want to help these guys have a major win over the bad guys?"

"With an idea this risky? Maybe!" the farmpony countered.

"Girls, stop!" Twilight shouted, "...Rainbow Dash is right."

"Huh?"

The alicorn continued, "This isn't Equestria. All of this is nothing like how we usually handle things. I've seen worlds ravaged by war before, and it was never a good sight to behold... But at the same time, this is a gambit that can seriously set us back if it goes wrong. Without a doubt, this is the craziest thing we've thought of, and I just don't want anypony getting hurt... Or worse..."

Revealing himself at last, Espio appeared from his camoflauge and spoke up, "I can see where everyone here is getting at."

"Espio? Where you standing there this whole time or something?" Rainbow inquired.

"...That's not important. What is important however is defusing this little squabble." the chameleon faced the alicorn, "As much as I disagree with Knuckles' idea, I believe it's the best course of action at the moment." he decided.

"How could ya think that, Espio?" Applejack asked.

Espio closed his eyes and answered, "Eggman had us on the ropes for six months. His capital is the heart of his defenses. If we can tear that down, it will finally give us the best advantage over him yet and end his reign before whatever he has planned for us comes to fruition."

Twilight groaned, "No... No, this is a completely bad idea! What if-"

Rainbow raised her hooves, "Alright, Twilight. Something's definitely up with you. You've been on edge lately... Well, more than usual. You weren't like this when we first showed up here."

"That was..." Twilight cut herself off to figure out a good response, "That was before I realized just how dire everything here was! Eggman took over the world and Infinite- Infinite might just be the most dangerous enemy we've faced yet!"

"Really? Infinite?" Rainbow muttered.

"I'm serious." the alicorn blurted out.

Fluttershy looked to Rainbow Dash, "Twilight actually fought Infinite so if she says he's that dangerous... I believe her."

"Okay, yeah. He's super powerful, but that hasn't stopped us from taking down evil before." Rainbow admitted.

"Twilight. Just trust us." Espio said. "We wouldn't be doing this if we didn't believe we have a chance of succeeding."

"But still. This is the riskiest move we've done."

Rainbow raised a hoof, "We went into the Death Egg and came out perfectly fine, did we not?"

Twilight studdered, "Well yeah, but-"

"And not only did we free Sonic, but he took out one of Eggman's goons while breaking out, right?" Rainbow added.

"That's true, but that was all him-"

"And we went on a bunch of other missions, including Eggman's main lab and got out no worse for wear too." the pegasus finished, "The odds are pretty much in our favor, Twi."

"..." Twilight paused. She was running out of vounters, and her mind already was running rampant. With a sigh, she relented, "Fine. If you all believe this is a good idea, I guess I can't change your minds."

"Then it's settled. We're heading to Metropolis. I'll let the rookie know what the deal is." Knuckles said.

Applejack shook her head, "Ah can't believe we're doin' this."

Twilight gulped, "Neither can I."

Rainbow said, "Alright, so what's the plan then? All of us go while Fluttershy and Amy do mission control or whatever?"

"Um, actually... I was thinking about going." Fluttershy admitted.

Rainbow, Applejack and Twilight had an equal amount of shock present on their faces when their meek friend said this. "What?" muttered the cyan mare.

"I want to help. I feel like I've stayed behind for too long. If... If one pony could help stop Eggman... Then I want to do that." Fluttershy said.

"Are you sure, Fluttershy?" Twilight asked.

The pegasus nodded, "I am. A-At least I'll be with ponies and creatures I can trust."

"Then she can come." Rainbow decided. "What about you, Twi?"

The alicorn stopped to think. She looked back at her recent vision and scowled, wanting to prevent it. "I will."

* * *

Metropolis. The city may have looked clean and futuristic on the outside, but it was actually the capital of Eggman's reign. The pure white futuristic skyscrapers towered over everything and the streets looked pretty clean, all around were logos for a corporation called Hexaco. No other area on the entire planet of Mobius was as well-defended as this city. Everybody in the Resistance knew this, and yet here they were, ready to bring it all down for the good of their world.

Knuckles, Espio, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Fluttershy and Buddy stood right on the outskirts of the city. A number of soldiers stood behind them as well, most of the entire Resistance was among them for this mission. Twilight gasped, "Wow. I've never seen a city so technologically-advanced..."

"Yeah, it looks all futuristic and stuff. These buildings tower over Manehattan!" Rainbow said, "Gotta admit, this place is pretty cool, y'know for a supervillain."

Applejack agreed, "Yep. As mighty neat as this city might be, this is still Eggman's city. A shame too, Ah wish I could compliment it further."

Knuckles spoke out, "Okay, everyone. This might be the most dangerous undertaking we've done yet. Eggman's forces are most likely already surging after us, so we'll just have to fight our way through them no problem."

The soldiers and heroes nodded. Meanwhile Espio and turned an eye to a strange noise. He recognized the sound of clanging metal all too well, but he heard something else. It almost sounded like... Buzzing?

Rainbow tilted her head, "Okay, I can't be the only one who hears that, right?"

Espio crouched down and pulled out his kunai. "You are not."

Hovering in the sky was a swarm of black quadrupedal creatures homing in on them as well as the usual robot army they've grew numb to seeing. Upon a second glance, Applejack immediately recognized them and shouted, "Changelings?!"

"You know what these are?" Knuckles asked.

Twilight spoke up, "The changelings used to be a hostile race of shape-shifters, but they were all purged of evil when Chrysalis was banished! There's no way she could've assembled any kind of army!"

"Clearly she did something, because they're heading for us!" Rainbow replied. She was the first to strike once the bug creatures landed, stomping on one's head.

Knuckles punched a changeling right as Espio jumped over him, throwing a shuriken at another. The ninja smacked it down with his palm, pushing it facefirst on the concrete. The commander leaped back as a changeling tried to divebomb him, which proved detrimental as a soldier used their Burst Wispon against it, causing it to fade into a purple aura. Knuckles faced the dog and said, "Thanks for the save."

"You're welcome, Commander." the dog said. "Look out!"

Knuckles did as he said and ducked, but the soldier wasn't so lucky, getting tackled by a changeling. "No!" he grunted, holding the creature by its wings and throwing them. "You alright, soldier?" he asked his comrade, helping them up.

"Y-Yeah. Thanks."

Shooting back an Egg Pawn with her magic, Twilight said, "We won't be able to get anywhere if we don't split up!"

"Urgh!" Rainbow grunted as she bucked one of the robots in the torso, knocking it down, "Yeah! We gotta keep moving somehow!"

Ducking underneath a changeling's magic beam, Applejack spin-kicked the creature with her hindlegs, stunning it. A soldier and Buddy swung their Lightning Wispons around and whipped the creature, causing it to turn into that strange purple mist of cubes. "Okay, anypony know why that happens?" the farmpony asked, Buddy merely shrugged.

Espio flipped over another changeling minion, having his foot collide with its barrel. He crouched on the ground and said, "Very well. Commander, what's the plan?"

Knuckles gripped the jaw of a changling trying to gnaw at him before throwing it aside, a cat using their grapple to grab it and slam them on the floor. "Espio, Rainbow and I will surge deeper into the city. Applejack and Twilight can remain here. Buddy and Fluttershy, I'd recommend staying within the outskirts of the city, it's the safest option for rookies. Everyone else divide!"

With a nod, everyone around did as they were instructed. Buddy gripped Fluttershy's hoof and bolted down one of the streets. Knuckles and Espio sprinted next to one another, pushing aside any changeling that dared stand in their path. All the while, the remaining soldiers split off into different paths while some stayed behind to help the girls.

"Think those two can handle themselves?" Applejack asked.

Rainbow leaned back and swung a hoof at one of the bugs. "Probably. They've been at this longer than us!"

Twilight created a barrier around herself when an Asteron split its five limbs and homed its legs onto the alicorn, however, the field deflected the combustable pieces, proving its efforts for naught. She sighed in relief at that, "I hope you're right, girls."

A blue cat stepped forward and used their Hover Wispon to create a burst powerful enough to knock a small swarm of minions back. "Nice!" the cyan pegasus complimented, flying around and smacking as much of the army as she could.

_"Well well well. It looks like the Resistance has finally decided to drop on in for a visit."_ Eggman's voice boomed over the city, his voice echoing for miles. _"I see you have already met the tour guides I recommended. And yes, Queen Chrysalis was oh so generous to allow me to instruct the rogue changelings she could gather."_

"Eggman!" Rainbow yelled, "We're finally here to take you down!"

Eggman laughed, _"As if you or the Resistance could accomplish that! You're all lucky the elite members of my Eggman Empire aren't here to squash you like the bugs you are... However, my top commander is here to pull the string on your little operation, and is currently going after your coward wolf and pegasus friends."_

"No you won't! You won't lay a finger on Fluttershy!" Rainbow shouted. She attempted to fly off, however she was smacked aside by a huge black hand and crashed at where she started. Once she got her bearings, her and the others looked up. Towering over them was a giant liquidy-looking creature with long arms, no legs and what looked to be Infinite's mask on the top of its form, or its "face".

Applejack gasped at the mere sight of it, "What in tarnation is that?!"

"Ugh. Long Infinite things. I didn't think anything could look uglier than Eggman." gagged Rainbow Dash.

Twilight, however, put her focus back onto the swarm of robots and changelings attacking them. As much as those things creeped her out, she knew she couldn't stop. She blasted back more of the enemies with her magic, a small shockwave pushing them back with ease. However, that move wore her out, forcing her to figure out a new plan until she could attack with magic again.

She slid on the metal surface of the street and found Rainbow Dash and Applejack working together to push through more of Eggman's defenses. Once that area was clear, they were ready to move on and clear more of the defenses.

Then they heard it. The sounds of lasers and pain-filled screams. Twilight heard it and her eyes shrank to pinpricks. Turning around, she found a group of soldiers lying on the ground in agony, their wounds preventing them from doing much. She wanted to help them, but her magic was weak at the moment. The alicorn tried to walk to them, but was blocked by more robots and Changeling. "Oh no..." Twilight panted.

"Don't worry, Twi! We'll cover for you!" Rainbow assured, flying down to strike the bug creatures and robots. The cyan pegasus tackled a Changeling while Applejack kicked a Newtralizer while it targeted her. Twilight noticed the soldiers being taken away by Changelings into the air and flew up, but was shot down by Buzz Bombers before she could get far. The alicorn crashed onto the hard floor face first and coughed. Rainbow saw this and tried to go after them, but as though they were aware of her flight speed, most of the defense went after her and attacked her. "Get off!" Rainbow grunted, pushing through the enemies. However, she was struck down by a Newtron. and got spat on by an Aquis, rendering her stuck to the floor. "Great." she muttered sarcastically. Luckily, she managed to break free of the oil and unfurled her wings, trashing the Newtron. But she noticed thr stuff on her wings was gonna take a while longer to remove.

Twilight managed to get her bearings and tried to fly after the taken soldiers, but was greeted by a Slicer and Penguinator. The two Badniks attacked her right after she got pelted by an Aquis. Luckily for her, Applejack jumped in and used her lasso, swinging the penguin Badnik onto the Slicer, blowing them both up at once. The farmpony pulled her friend away from the oil stuck to her feet. "Ya'll fine?" she asked her friends.

"I think so... where are the others?" Twilight asked.

Eggman laughed, "_Ah, the first guinea pigs for my roboticizer. You know, turning them into my robot slaves is a lot easier when they're unable to fight back. I have to thank you for this grand opportunity!"_

"..." Rainbow Dash was at a loss of words. "Slaves? I didn't think-"

"_And it was your lack of thinking that did this. So thank you again for screwing things up in my favor!"_ Eggman boasted.

Rainbow blinked, "...I totally doomed them. wanted to fight back, not have the Resistance wiped out and turn into robots."

"Rainbow. It ain't yer fault— look, we'll have'ta talk about it when we get back." Applejack assured, focusing back on that battle.

Meanwhile, Twilight was debriefing Knuckles on what happened. Once she ended her call to Knuckles, then she to the sky, finding a purple and red blur dashing through the skies. She immediately recognized it and was started to grow more concered. "When they get back" was turning into an "_if_ they get back" for her now.

* * *

"_I'm sorry, Knuckles..."_

The Commander of the Resistance was heartbroken upon hearing these words. To hear that more soldiers were lost in the line of battle. A battle he pushed for at that. He never once thought Eggman was this organized in the event of a sudden counterstrike from the Resistance. He had to stop walking, Espio growing ever more curious over his friend's behavior. "Knuckles?" he called out to the echidna, hoping for a response.

More robots and Changelings began to surround them by the second. Enough to overwhelm any team of new soldiers on their side, and even the two of them. Espio knew this and spoke up again, "Knuckles, I am truly sorry about what's happening. But we need to enact a plan of attack immediately!" the chameleon got into a fighting stance, wondering where he should begin striking the opposition.

Knuckles let out a loud grunt and charged forward. He uppercutted a changeling and then immediately spun his body to smack down an Egg Pawn. A Motobug zoomed towards him and the echidna merely gripped its side and crushed it in an instant. Knuckles then jabbed a Changeling as hard as he could.

Espio, meanwhile, directed his attention to the rest of the enemies. He noticed that Knuckles wasn't his usual loud and brash self. This was a whole new level of rage he was witnessing, borderline tranquil fury. It was unnerving to watch if he was being honest. As he was fighting, however, he had to make a call, one that could ensure Eggman wouldn't get a complete victory in this mission.

* * *

"_Buddy, Fluttershy. You have a new mission. Head into the heart of the city and destroy the roboticizer before Eggman can use it! It should be in the Hexaco building not too far from your location."_ Espio ordered.

Buddy and Fluttershy moved through the streets as fast as possible, going up a ramp to reach the higher levels of the city. Time was running short and they needed to get through as fast as possible. "B-Buddy! I can't fly that fast!" Fluttershy told her friend, flapping her wings as fast as she could, remaining unable to keep up with the running wolf despite that. Deciding to lend the pegasus a hand, he held her hoof and pushed on, his Lightning Wispon held tightly in his other hand.

"Look out!" Fluttershy warned.

Up ahead were Egg Pawns and Changelings. Knowing they had to push through, Buddy gestured for his friend to wrap her hooves around his neck for safety, and she did so. Buddy gulped and jumped, swinging his Lighting Wispon to strike down the defenses before they could attack. With a sigh of relief he jumped and used his grapple to swing around to the next risen street to continue. A Changeling tried to attack, but Fluttershy kicked a hindleg back to draw them away, kicking them in the muzzle and causing them to collapse. Buddy gave a nod of acknowledgement and pressed on, using his grapple stomp to destroy more robots.

The two were on a path, noticing lasers aiming towards. Buddy scowled and ran towards the ramp, flying across the skyline of the city. Fluttershy would've liked the view, had she not spotted the rogue flying next to him. "I-Infinite?!" she gasped out at the sight of him.

"_Ah, we meet again, Equestrian."_ Infinite said.

"_Enough babbling. Activate your Phantom Ruby! Make these heroes wish they were never born!"_ Eggman shouted.

Infinite raised his hand and the gem on his chest began to glow. Suddenly, Buddy and Fluttershy felt gravity shift. "What's going on?!" Fluttershy wondered, releasing her grip on Buddy. Scared as well, the wolf managed to hold her hoof as that she could help slow their descent. Her and Buddy tried to collect themselves as they were pulled to the sky. "We're... upside-down?" the pegasus noticed, seeing that her and Buddy were on the underside of a highway now, landing softly. Although that didn't stop Eggman from installing more lasers. Realizing they needed to hurry, Fluttershy held onto Buddy's shoulders while he ran ahead. However, one of the long creatures struck their hand down, destroying the path. Fortunately, Buddy managed to find a grapple point and zipped towards the open window of a building, the both of them running on the ceiling.

"We should be safe here." Fluttershy let out a sigh of relief. "There doesn't look to be anything dangerous here."Buddy nodded in agreement. The two marched on. However, they felt gravity shift again, spotting Infinite using the Phantom Ruby next to them. "Oh no." she muttered. The duo landed on the floor and felt dizzy. "Quick! We have to get out of here!" Fluttershy told her partner. Buddy ran ahead and swung his weapon upwards, pushing aside any opposition. He swung downwards with his grapple and managed to reach the outdoors before the next laser shot at them.

Infinite used the Phantom Ruby once more to distort reality. This time, Buddy and Fluttershy found themselves standing on the side of a building. As they landed, Rainbow's voice was heard through the comms, "_Guys! What's Infinite doing out there? Has he laid a finger on any of you?"_

"He hasn't. He's using the thing on his chest to, um, throw us around. I'm starting to feel sick..." Fluttershy admitted as she released her grasp on the wolf. She gagged and gulped for a moment before letting out a cough.

Budy did want to take a moment to break, but he thought doing so on the side of a building wasn't exactly safe. So he gestured for Fluttershy to follow him, leaping towards the next building. More turrets showed themselves, forcing Buddy to Quick-Step left and right to avoid them, a tactic he learned from Sonic. Buddy once again reached another ramp and flew alongside Fluttershy.

Infinite emerged and used the Phantom Ruby, forcing the two to fall back towards the ground. Fluttershy dove down and reached out for Buddy's hands, the wolf grabbing her hooves. She slowed her wing-flapping so that he landed on the rooftop of the nearest building safely. "Thank goodness. That was a close one." Fluttershy said. Buddy scratched his head and looked ahead, seeing the Hexaco building not too far away. An assortment of floating rails were the only way Buddy could get around however.

With Fluttershy flying by his side, Buddy jumped and started grinding on the rails, leaping whenever there was an apparent dead end. He finally reached a street, but one of the Infinite creatures smashed it, forcing the rookie to grapple onto the next street and started panting. Fluttershy landed next to him and said, "I don't know how you're able to do all this... running fast and constantly on the move..." she admitted. Unsure himself, Buddy responded with a shrug.

"_Fluttershy, Buddy. What's your progress?"_ Espio asked.

Fluttershy answered, "We're almost there, I think. Infinite is trying to stop us though."

Espio responded, "Unfortunately, the two of you are on your own. We're cornered on all fronts here and more soldiers were taken to be roboticized."

"W-What?!" the pegasus gasped at the same time as Buddy. The wolf had to admit that the pressure was starting to get to him. If he failed, a number of good people would lose their free will and work for Eggman. He trembled at the idea of him being the one depended on to change the tide of the war. Fluttershy said, "Okay, we won't let you down right, Buddy?" Buddy gave a hesitant thumbs-up.

"_Let us know when you finished."_ Espio said before muting himself to focus on the fight.

The two gulped and looked at each other. They knew they couldn't fail, and spotted the Hexaco building right in front of them. Overjoyed, Buddy and Fluttershy ran forward. But then they paused once they spotted the black-clad being standing right across from them. They could faintly hear the echoing sound of his Phantom Ruby.

Infinite raised two fingers to adjust his mask, "_Ah, more ants to crush. I wonder if this world can offer me a real challenge."_ he turned around and gazed at Buddy and Fluttershy, "_And as if to answer, the world sends me a pair of trembling children instead."_ he mocked.

Suddenly, Infinite teleported next to Buddy in a purple and red mist, glaring directly at Fluttershy as he continued speaking in a colder tone than usual, "_Are you going to fight and die here? Or run away in fear like the cowards you are?"_

Buddy and Fluttershy didn't know what to do. They were all alone facing Infinite, and he wasn't looking to play with gravity anymore it appeared. He was the only one standing in their way. They took a step back wondering how they were going handle this. No backup or the like this time.

But then Buddy heard a reassuring voice in his head. The advice of Sonic the Hedgehog.

"_At some point, it'll be your moment to shine. When that time comes, just keep going. Don't ever let your fear own you!"_ he recalled every bit of what Sonic said back when they first joined forces. That time may have been now, and for once, he had to let his fears subside. Countless people were depending on him.

Back in reality, Buddy clenched his fist and aimed it towards Infinite. "_Hm. You had a surprising change of heart. One you will regret."_ he admitted.

"B-Buddy? What are you doing?" Fluttershy asked. Buddy gestured for her to stand back. This was a fight he wanted to handle himself. "You can't be thinking about fighting him. He defeated Sonic!" The wolf knew this, yet he remained undeterred.

And the pegasus wanted to stand back, she really did, but seeing Buddy stand up to Infinite. It made her think about how she chose to sit most of this war out. Now that she's out here in the frontlines, she couldn't think about letting Buddy fight Infinite alone. So she scowled and trotted next to her friend, "Well, if you're going, then I am too. I'm leaving no creature behind." Buddy agreed and decided to let her stay.

Infinite held back a chuckle, "_Very well. I will teach you fear, then pain. And then... well, at least the fear and pain will end."_ he hovered as they raced to the Hexaco building.

* * *

Infinite reactivated his Phantom Ruby, ready to fight once more. Buddy and Fluttershy growled at hum. Trails of cubes emitted from his being and followed the heroes. The cubes managed to touch them. Suddenly, their vision was filled with red and Infinite was nowhere in sight. "What's going on?" the meek pegasus wondered as she blinked, wondering if something was wrong with her vision now.

Red cubes materialized into a shape behind them. Fluttershy's eyes widened once she saw a giant missile looking object appearing now. Her and Buddy managed to dodge it as it fell, moving forward. More missiles appeared and tried to hit them, but luckily Buddy held Fluttershy's hoof and pushed her aside from it.

Then the red vanished, and Infinite reappeared. Annoyed, Buddy swung his Lightning Wispon upwards to smack Infinite, the villain looking visibly hurt from the attack. Infinite shook his head, "_I'm impressed. You managed to touch me with those toys you call weapons."_

Buddy leaped back from the sphere Infinite threw. He leaped and swung his Wispon some more, smacking Infinite. The villain created a small aura to deflect the volts of lightning aimed at him. The wolf then used his grappling arm to perform a makeshift Homing Attack. He drove a foot directly onto Infinite's chest and kicked him, the enhanced being hovering back slightly as a result of the attack. Infinite hissed in annoyance and tossed down more projectiles. Buddy somersaulted away from them and whacked the being once mire with his Wispon.

While Buddy was distracting Infinite, Fluttershy trotted over to the monitors on the other side of the room. The mechanical monster known as the Roboticizer. She paused as she glanced over all the buttons and levers and held her head, "Oh dear. I don't know how to work all this..." she muttered to herself. Looking back, she realized that Buddy could hold Infinite long enough for her to figure it out.

Unfortunately, a single button press activated an alarm and a horde of Egg Pawns emerged from the secret compartments on the wall. "Oh no." Fluttershy gasped.

"_It looks like the two of you are failing your precious Resistance. Luckily, you won't have to live with the guilt for much longer."_ Infinite mocked. Buddy growled and used his grapple arm, homing in on Infinite and delivering a punch to his mask. Infinite merely adjusted his mask in response, "_A childish retort. Fitting. Something about you feels familiar enough to have me believe that,"_

Noticing the Egg Pawns are warming up their lasers, Fluttershy ducked for cover. The robots all shot at the computer she hid behind instead, destroying it. The timid pegasus saw that the conveyor belts above them stopped and that any of the monitors shut down. "Did I do it?" she asked, a small smile appeared on her muzzle. "We stopped it!" she quietly cheered, ducking for cover once more when she remembered the Egg Pawns targeting her, all of them a lot closer than before. More lasers were shot at the broken controls, a sigh of relief escaping the mare.

"_Grr! My Roboticizer! Infinite, eliminate the intruders immediately!"_ Eggman ordered his new subordinate.

Infinite smirked under his mask, "_I am already aware of them, doctor. You do not have to worry about these nuisances for much longer."_

Fluttershy unfurled her wings and flew around the room, deciding to act as a quick target to allow Buddy to dismantle the metal swarm with ease. The wolf jumped in and destroyed all of the robots in a matter of seconds with ease. The pegasus wished she had magic so that she could help more. She landed on the shiny surface and exhaled, relieved that the cavalry was gone. Unfortunately that left them with Infinite still.

Said rogue twitched in his spot after Buddy delivered a swift kick to his side. An aura of purple and red bursted from the gem on his chest. Suddenly, more snake-like entities of cubes materialized into existence. Buddy and Fluttershy did their best to avoid them, but Infinite dashed in the air and grabbed the wolf by the strap on his chest and Fluttershy's tail. They both screamed as they were thrown into the pile of cubes Infinite created.

Their vision was blood red again and Fluttershy muttered out, "What's going to happen this time?" she wondered. A pile of cubes appeared beneath their feet. This was enough to convince Buddy to hold the pegasus' hoof and dash to the other side of the room. Suddenly, the cubes took the form of a large rectangular object and raised itself to the ceiling, potentially crushing anything or anybody standing on it. "Thank you, Buddy." said wolf gave Fluttershy an assuring thumbs-up.

Everything was back to normal a moment later, and Infinite was visible once more. More Egg Pawns appeared, forcing the heroes to pause. One of them charged forward, but Fluttershy ducked and caused it to trip. This allowed Buddy to stomp on it and destroy it. Fluttershy managed a thin smile at what she did and hovered in her spot, hoping to disorient the remaining robots so Buddy could dismantle the rest, which he did. Fluttershy wondered if she could do something against Infinite, and an idea dawned on her.

The duo stood among a pile of scrap and Fluttershy flew to Infinite. Buddy tried to grapple her back, but the pegasus turned to him and said, "Buddy. I know what I'm doing. You can let me go." Buddy hesitated and Fluttershy spoke up once more, "Do you trust me?" Buddy froze and slowly nodded. "Then let me go." she requested again. The wolf did so and Fluttershy flew towards Infinite.

The being said, "_This should be interesting. It seems behind that fear is a spark of defiance."_

Fluttershy scowled directly into the visible eye on Infinite's mask, "Listen here, you meanie! I don't like how you and Eggman took over the world! Now you are going to stop this fight right now before I remove that mask and gem of yours by force! Do I make myself clear?!" she shouted in the angriest tone Buddy had ever heard her speak in. He was taken aback by this and his jaw dropped.

Infinite froze and twitched in fear, Fluttershy's plan seemingly working. However, a moment later, Infinite laughed. He actually laughed, and it scared Fluttershy. "_**Ahahahahaha!"**_ he cleared his throat and spoke, "_Was that the fabled Stare I had heard about before? Your light scolding does nothing to me, you weak mare! You should be aware of that by now."_ he grabbed Fluttershy by the throat, choking her. His visible eye stared right into her soul, he leaned forward slightly, "_As some advice, the strong will always vanquish the weak. You only have your fraility to blame for your fates."_ Infinite then threw Fluttershy down as Buddy tried to catch her. The both of them were thrown back as a result of the force the being threw her down in, a strange gem flying out of Buddy's possession.

However, something clicked in Infinite's mind as he readied an attack, focusing his attention onto the wolf. "_Now I remember you. You ran from me before. You survived, but you choose to throw your feeble life away now. Curious..."_

"You did?" Fluttershy asked. Buddy hung his head in shame. He picked up the gem that fell as he tried to shake his mind from the act he deemed his most disappointing moment.

Infinite then began to overclock his Phantom Ruby, the entire room covered in red. That same echo was heard louder this time and the two saw a large amount of turrets materializing into existence around Infinite. Fluttershy didn't hide behind Buddy and instead tried to look for an opening. "_This will be our farewell."_ Infinite stated.

Unfortunately, the turrets shot out. Buddy and Fluttershy flinched. Yet somehow, the projectiles faded right through them, a faint glow appearing in Buddy's hand. "Huh?" Fluttershy asked, noticing the red glow in the room vanishing for a split second.

"It can't be... How did you—." Infinite questioned the act.

More turrets shot out and this time, Buddy and Fluttershy jumped towards Infinite. The villain retaliated by grabbing them by their throats and slamming them onto the ground. They groaned as they tried to stand. "_It won't matter now. You only have two days before your end. I will allow you to contemplate the inevitable until I can show you true pain and suffering."_

He flew out of the Hexaco building, leaving the heroes to pick themselves up. The pegasus got up first and helped her wolf friend on his friend, "Are you okay, Buddy?" she asked. The rookie nodded. He gestured to her, "Oh yes, I'm fine too. But um... you met Infinite before?"

Buddy slowly nodded as he felt the shame return to his conscience. Fluttershy spoke, "Nopony can blame you for being afraid, Buddy. He's a scary person to be around. If it helps, I was scared too. Scared of being in a war. That's why I didn't join the actual battles until now. But for someone who was frightened and new to this, you stood up to Infinite pretty well. Seeing you stand your ground... it _inspired_ me. I was only here because my friends needed help, but now I want to join the effort more often if it means I can make a difference."

Buddy rubbed the back of his neck. Inspired? He felt it was a little much, but he accepted the compliment. He was just glad to be here and make a difference, even if things didn't go exactly to plan. Hopefully things didn't get worse while they dealt with the machine.

"_Buddy. Fluttershy. What's your status?"_ Espio called out.

"Um, we destroyed the roboticizer and held off Infinite, Espio. Is everypony okay?" Fluttershy responded.

"_Good work. Unfortunately, 80% of our forces were either wiped out or captured. At the very least, you two ensured they wouldn't become Eggman's slaves, so I can't call it a success."_ Espio said.

"_...Fall back and meet me at the shuttle. We have to leave before we become completely compromised."_ Knuckles ordered slowly before ending the call.

Buddy and Fluttershy glanced at each other worriedly at that. Then they decided to set out to back where they started.

* * *

Back outside, the Resistance was planning to regroup. Twilight exhaled, holding back more Changelings. She ordered for Rainbow Dash and Applejack to go on ahead while she ensured the remaining soldiers were escorted safely by them. With a quick beam of magic, she pushed back Eggman's defenses.

A purple and red blur suddenly appeared behind her, however, and the sound of a chilling voice made her freeze in her spot almost instantly. "_Princess Twilight Sparkle... We meet again."_

Turning around, Twilight trembled at the sight of Infinite, spotting all of the other soldiers on the floor, unmoving. "Y-You..."

Infinite crossed his arms, "_You're shaking in your hooves. I assume that little image I planted in your mind has haunted you since our last encounter."_ he assumed.

Twilight shivered. "W-What did you... do to my brain?"

"_Planted a reminder. A reminder that not everything is all sunshine and rainbows. That the reality of peace is but a fleeting illusion. The true reality we endure is pain, suffering and filled with hopeless dread. And it is time you realize that."_ Infinite stated.

"But why me?!"

Infinite replied, "_You are the Princess of Friendship. You're the glue that keeps your friends together and a light of hope for them. Take your hope away and it'll dwindle theirs as well. I have already done so with Mobius by ridding them of their favorite blue hero. Now it is time for Equestria to share its fate, starting with the fall of its harminous heroes."_

Twilight was at a loss of words. She wanted to snap back at him, but she couldn't bring herself to move. "_Hm. It appears the cat has got your tongue. Good."_ Infinite mocked her and walked forward, driving his fist directly into her barrel before choking her and pinning her to the floor. He released her and she struggled to stand up. "_Mark my words. Your time will come. Be fortunate the doctor and I are granting you the mercy of a deadline. Till we meet again, Sparkle."_ and with that, he vanished, leaving Twilight to dwell on his words as she picked herself up.

"Why can't I do anything...?" she coughed out. "Am I just that scared?" she gazed over at the bodies and gulped.

The alicorn limped away and thought over everything. Her mental scarring, Infinite, this battle and their loss. Everything. The Resistance needed to act quickly if they want to turn the tide of the war in their favor. But first they needed to regroup.


	14. Resistance HQ: Episode Shadow

"What were you thinking, Knuckles?!"

Sonic was now scolding his longtime echidna friend after hearing about the battle in Metropolis. Everybody took a step back upon hearing his raised voice. Knuckles hung his head in shame as Sonic continued, "I leave for one mission and then you went and pulled the dumbest stunt I've seen from you in a long while?! Come on."

Knuckles was silent. Twilight gestured to the hedgehog, "Sonic, I think you should-"

Sonic raised a hand, "No. I'm not calming down." he faced Knuckles, "Not only did you enter Eggman's capital without taking time to plan it out, you also put everyone here at risk and now some of the Resistance is held captive!" he then glared at Rainbow Dash as well, "You shouldn't have encouraged him, Dash."

"Oh, so you're blaming me now?" Rainbow snapped.

"You should've known it was a bad idea." Sonic scolded the cyan pegasus.

"Celestia forbid I wanted to help!" Rainbow said in annoyance.

Knuckles managed to speak, "You know, this is rich coming from the guy who nearly killed us last time Eggman caused trouble. So I don't think you're one to talk."

Sonic clenched a fist, "I thought we moved past that, Knux."

"Your stupidity almost got the entire planet killed! It's rather hypocritical of you to act like you have the higher ground. If you were here, you would've been all for that plan because of course you have to be the shining hero of hope once again." Knuckles said.

"Guys..." Fluttershy muttered.

"If you thought that after what happened on the Lost Hex, then you must be the same Knucklehead I've always known." Sonic retorted with a thin smirk.

"Oh, alright! That's it!" Knuckles finally snapped and tried to punch Sonic.

Sonic leaned back and tried to counter, "Fine then, bring it in!"

However before anything else could happen, Tails stood between the two and pushed him back with help from Twilight, who created a magic barrier, "That's enough! I thought we grew out of the two of you fighting!" the fox said. He sighed, "Take it from me, you two. The last thing you want to do is start inner turmoil. What happens next may not be good." he looked at Sonic sadly in shame.

Twilight said, "Okay. I'm going to lower my barrier, and you two have to talk it out."

"...Fine." the two agreed.

With that, Twilight dropped the purple field. Sonic scratched his head, "Okay yeah, Rainbow and Knux. That was, uh, rather uncool of me to do. I'm just a little peeved and stressed. Sorry for mocking ya."

Knuckles exhaled, "No, you're... you're right. I'm not fit to be commander. All this time we've made zero progress in stopping Eggman until you and the girls showed up. I just... I just wanted to do something that mattered and let it go to my head... and instead it backfired big time."

"Yeah, when Eggman started taking soldiers, even I started to realize it was a bad idea. Sorry..." Rainbow admitted.

The echidna exhaled, "You should be taking charge, Sonic. Today, I proved I'm not fit to lead."

Sonic shook his head, "Dude. If I wanted to be commander, I would've brought it up the second I got back. My leading skills only matter with the usual Eggman scheme. This isn't those times. I mean, there's a reason I haven't complained once about our new hierarchy."

Raising a brow in confusion, Knuckles asked, "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that you're the best combat strategist I know. You kept Tails and me on our toes the day we met. If anyone's fit to lead an army during a time like this, it's you." Sonic admitted.

"Wait, did he really do that?" Fluttershy wondered.

Tails responded, "He did. Let's just say that guests weren't exactly welcome on Angel Island and we didn't know our goals were the same back then."

"So, what? You think I should stay commander? This isn't a game anymore, Sonic. We could use a proper leader, one who won't screw things up even more like I did." Knuckles said in a dejected tone.

Sonic raised his hands, "What you did was dumb, I'll never say otherwise, but not even that will change my mind on you being the commander."

"I agree with Sonic. I don't think any of us are fit to lead you all in a war. This is nothing we've ever faced in Equestria and until we get back I personally feel it's for the best." Twilight admitted.

"Maybe I am fit..." Rainbow muttered, earning a not-so-gentle nudge from Applejack, "Ow, okay yeah. We're not."

Knuckles scratched his head, "Wow, uh, thanks I guess. I didn't you'd give me a second chance."

Twilight said, "I've forgiven ponies who have done much worse deeds, and they've made a change in their lives. You've done nothing but help us in the time we've known you, and even though what happened in Metropolis can't be fixed, I'm willing to stand by your side still."

Applejack agreed, "Same here."

"The Resistance lasted this long for a reason, I guess." Rainbow shrugged, "So why not?"

"What do ya say, Knux? You up for keeping the title?" Sonic asked his friend.

Knuckles smirked, "I guess I am."

Sonic nodded and said, "And speaking of second chances, I think it's time we spoke to someone who already got one and needs to explain themselves again."

And at that moment, Shadow the Hedgehog stepped into the room. The Chaotix, Classic Sonic, Spike, and the Equestrians all got into a fighting stance. Rainbow Dash growled, "You again!"

Shadow huffed, "Please, I have better things to do than pick fights with all of you."

"That's not what you did when the Time Eater attacked." Sonic quipped.

Shadow crossed his arms and ignored that comment, "I noticed that this group is a lot smaller. Where are the others from the city attack?"

Amy said, "In the med bay right now, no thanks to you."

"I see. Then I apologize for what happened. I'll explain myself once they get better." Shadow said.

Rouge gazed at her friend and muttered, "Are you the real Shadow?"

Shadow replied, "I was never a fake. These past six months were Infinite's doing."

"That's all he told us so far." Tails said.

Twilight stepped forward to greet the newcomer, "So, Shadow... It's a pleasure to meet you."

"For real, I guess. But I got my eye on you." Rainbow told him.

Shadow rolled his eyes as he continued talking, "You must be the ponies Sonic mentioned. I assume the Lunar princess isn't here as well."

Twilight blinked and took a moment to process that, "...You met Princess Luna? She never said anything about..."

Sonic raised a hand, "Yo, hold up. You met one of them and never said anything about it?"

The black hedgehog sighed, "It was never any of your concern, but yes, I did. She appeared in a dream and we conversed. I am unsure of why, but it happened."

Spike and Classic Sonic walked into the room after checking on their friends in the medical bay, "Whoa, who are you?!" the dragon asked aloud.

"Spike. This is Shadow the Hedgehog." Twilight introduced her friend.

Shadow gave a nod to the dragon and took noticed of the smaller Sonic, "So, you're here as well. I imagine you weren't exactly brought here on your terms." Classic Sonic nodded at that.

"Is it just me, or does Shadow look cool?" Spike asked Classic Sonic. The hedgehog merely shrugged. He really hadn't gotten to know Shadow for long last time they met.

A memory flashed in Modern Sonic's head, "Heh. Hey, Shadow. Remember when Classic and I fought Eggman and you showed up and said, 'You got this Sonic'? Good times."

Shadow curled a fist and snarled, "I'll give you a reminder of what will happen if you bring that up again."

Modern Sonic flinched, "Okay, jeez. Go back to being brooding I guess."

Walking away, the black hedgehog said, "Round up the rest of the Resistance. It's about time I explained everything you want to know."

"Alrighty then." Rainbow replied.

While, Knuckles walked to the med bay, Sonic tapped Rainbow Dash's shoulder. "Hey, Dash. You and I are still cool right? I mean, I don't blame you if you're upset that I snapped at you."

Rainbow waved a hoof, "We're cool. But at some point, you and I are teaming up again."

"Deal."

* * *

The entire Resistance was all round up in the main briefing room. Standing in front of them was Shadow the Hedgehog himself. First, he gave a small apology to everyone he roughed up and for "turning traitor" over six months ago on the day of Sonic's defeat.

Tails was the first to ask questions, "Alright, was that actually you who fought Sonic and I that day?"

Shaking his head, the black hedgehog responded, "That was a fake as well. I was put under the Phantom Ruby's influence sometime after that."

"I think it'll be best if you start from the beginning." Twilight suggested.

Closing his eyes, Shadow said, "Very well."

* * *

_**Seven months ago...**_

'**I was on a solo mission in the Mystic Jungle. The mission was to destroy whatever labs the doctor had around the world. So far I was making quick progress and was at the very last known location GUN had spotted.'**

Shadow ran through the jungle, the grass burning slightly as his hover shoes passed right through it. He made his way into a small cavern and a slope gave him enough momentum to leap into what appeared to be a water slide. Suddenly, Motobugs started sliding down next to him, trying to ram into him and bump him off into the chasm directly below. The agent smirked as he heard Eggman yell, "_All defense units, engage Shadow the Hedgehog immediately! Do not let him anywhere near the lab or the experiments!"_

Sliding down the right in the fork of the slide, Shadow huffed as he pushed a Motobug away, causing it to bump into another and making them both fall. "Hmph. Should've hired a defense squad for your defense squad, doctor." he mocked Eggman, finally reaching the end of the slide. He saw a robot launching missiles at him. Shadow hopped on one of the missiles and leaped off of it, landing on another, he repeated this until he reached the robot, Homing Attacking it with ease.

Shadow found a handle and tugged on it, getting flung to the other side of the jungle. He landed with a roll and observed his surroundings. Nothing, he noticed. With that deduction done, he wandered on. He heard bushes rustling and noticed the trees moving. Then he saw a shadow jump to another tree. Then footsteps and the sound of crops getting rustled some more. It was at this moment, Shadow realized he was no longer alone and readied himself for a fight. He turned his gaze around, hoping to get the upper hand.

'**It was there I crossed paths with the Jackal Squad: One of the toughest groups of mercenaries in Mobius. Not much is known about them beyond that however. As I discovered, they were working for Eggman, and I am assuming the alliance only came about because of the Phantom Ruby. Their leader wasn't present at this point.'**

A jackal wearing a bandana leapt out of the dark and tried to tackle Shadow. The black hedgehog reared his fist back and drove his fist directly into back of his neck. Shadow spotted another jackal jumping from above and leaped while curling into a ball, pushing them back upwards with a Spin-Jump to the gut. They gagged as they were shoved aside by Shadow as the first merceary struggled to stand. The first jackal tried to claw at Shadow, but the agent saw it coming and kicked him right in the jaw, where he was down for the count.

Sensing another jackal trying to take him down, the agent leaped back and reared his fist back. Shadow then delivered a Chaos-enhanced punch to the newcomer jackal's stomach and pushed him back right through a tree, causing it to topple over with a loud shockwave. "Hmph. So, you're the infamous Jackal Squad. I must admit, I'm not impressed." he admitted to the mercenaries fighting him. The black hedgehog uppercutted a jackal wearing broken goggles and followed up with a powerful ax kick. Shadow raised his arm and caught the falling assassin, dropping him right in front of his feet. He dished out another swift kick to take them out as well.

Three more jackals hopped out to attack at once. One of them revealed his claws and slashed at Shadow. The black hedgehog moved to the side and dodged, "Try again." he quipped, landing a left hook to their cheek. The second held one of his arms back as the third got to punch his muzzle, "You'll regret that." he snarled. He snapped his fingers and created a small Chaos aura, catching the mercenary off guard. He brought his hands to his sides and used a Chaos Burst, pushing back the jackals and giving him a moment to attack back. He used Chaos Control and dive-kicked one mercenary before Homing Attacking another in the chest.

Shadow then noticed that all of the Jackal Squad came to at the same time and plotted to strike him down at the same time. He dodged one strike, but was then shoved by another assassin. Shadow retaliated with a backhand, but was immediately countered with a claw slash to his chest. Shadow tried to uppercut, but cringed in pain as he was kicked directly on his hip. He was pushed onto the ground and managed to draw one away by activating his hover shoes, a bright flame appearing underneath it for the moment. The agent grabbed one of their ankles and flung them aside as he struggled to get back on his feet to continue fighting.

'**Realizing that I was outnumbered and needed to hurry. I had no choice but to use... drastic measures as it were. Unfortunately for the mercenaries, I had no qualms or regrets in doing so.'**

A red aura suddenly appeared around Shadow while he tried to channel as much Chaos Energy as possible. He closed his eyes and gripped the ground. Gritting his teeth, he stood up, an aura burst pushing back the Jackal Squad. With two words, he decided to end the battle.

"_**Chaos... BLAST!"**_

A large red explosion enveloped the jungle, being the brightest source of light in the moonlit jungle. Eventually, the red light faded and all that remained standing was Shadow the Hedgehog, panting from exhaustion. He held his chest and exhaled, feeling sweat drop from his head with how tiring that moved pushed him. He reminded himself to not go all out like that again for the rest of the mission. Looking down, he found the entirety of the Jackal Squad, lying on the floor, unmoving and eerily still, not that Shadow cared of course.

"So much for being tough mercenaries." Shadow mocked.

He pushed on, his skates once more burning the grass. Shadow huffed and jumped off a ramp, holding onto a nearby zipline with one hand. The hedgehog landed and found a swarm of robots in front of him. Choosing not to fight them, he performed a Boost, letting them all explode in his wake. He heard alarms blare in the distance and leaped over a brick wall, finding himself closer to his objective.

Shadow pursed his lips, "The lab. The doctor must really want this place secured if he's sending everything after me."

In the distance, a lone jackal with a scar over his eye and a bandana around his neck leaped around in order to avoid Shadow's line of sight. His communicator went off, blaring the voice of Eggman, "_You! You're the leader of the Jackal Squad! Your crew failed in stopping the hedgehog! If you fail me—"_

"Yeah, I get it. Eternal punishment and junk. I can handle it." said the leader jackal. He crouched down to observe Shadow's movements.

Finally, Shadow arrived at the lab, ready to shut it down. However, the Jackal Squad leader jumped down to reveal himself at last to the GUN Agent.

'**Once I arrived at the lab I encountered the leader of the Jackal Squad. Not much is known about him either, other than the fact the he is considered the **'_**Ultimate Mercenary'**_**. A title in which I tested him to prove. He has no name, no intel besides his time as a mercenary. Almost like a ghost.' **

The Jackal Squad leader smirked at the black hedgehog, unsheathing his purple sword and pointing it forward, "Well, I never thought I'd see the day. Shadow the Hedgehog himself facing me. The Ultimate Life-Form against the Ultimate Mercenary. I must admit it's quite an honor."

Shadow growled, "Enough with the pleasantries. If you don't get out of my way, you'll share the fate of the rest of your squad."

"I'm afraid I can't do that. The doc says it's important, and I really need a paycheck." Jackal Squad leader said.

With a scowl, Shadow replied, "Very well. You asked for it."

The Ultimate Mercenary dashed and swung his blade at Shadow. The GUN agent gripped the blade with his palms and flicked it away. The mercenary jabbed Shadow in the chest before he could attack. Seeing Shadow stumble backwards, the jackal kicked him. Shadow fell on his back and backflipped in order to get his bearings. The Ultimate Life-Form sneered and created a Chaos Aura around his fist, boosting his punch so that the jackal was knocked back farther than with a usual punch.

The Jackal Squad leader slid on the dirt as he adjusted himself, his claws and blade digging into the ground. He smirked, "Not bad at all. I should've expected this much fight from you." he leaped and swung his sword around in a flip. Shadow teleported away from being sliced and watched as the jackal landed perfectly on his feet, "Ha! I knew you couldn't take me on, Shadow!" he taunted the agent.

"All talk, and yet you barely scratched me." Shadow mocked back.

"You little-" the Ultimate Mercenary hissed.

'**I will admit he put up a decent fight, but it still wasn't enough in the end.'**

Shadow countered the jackal using his sword by creating a Chaos Burst, blasting the weapon right out of the assassin's hands with a flick of his wrists. The hedgehog then teleported, grabbed it, and tossed it into a chasm. The act angered the Ultimate Mercenary and he punched Shadow before he could use Chaos Control again. The hedgehog had to admit the punch hurt more than he expected.

In response, Shadow dished out a kick to the jackal. The mercenary elbowed the Ultimate Life-Form and then chopped his throat, making the hedgehog collapse and cough. "As an assassin, ya gotta know the best tricks." the mercenary leader told the GUN agent.

Shadow scowled and sweep-kicked his opponent off his feet. "As an agent, you have to know the art of deception. It appears you missed a vital step in being a credible threat." Shadow replied as he got up.

The jackal squad leader snarled and pushed himself upright, driving his feet onto Shadow's gut. The Ultimate Life-Form coughed, but managed to fix himself so that he could perform a Chaos Uppercut on the Ultimate Mercenary. The jackal got his bearings and flipped back down, jabbing Shadow in the cheek. The agent hissed in pain, and right before the jackal could deliver another punch, Shadow blocked it with his palm.

"What?" the Ultimate Mercenary gasped.

Shadow smirked and decked the Jackal Squad leader in the face, making him collapse to his back. The assassin snarled again ans tried to sweep kick Shadow again, but the hedgehog jumped and stomped on his stomach before teleporting away. The Ultimate Mercenary stood up and said, "Show yourself!"

Then, Shadow teleported in front of him and used a Chaos Burst, launching him backwards. While he was in midair, Shadow teleported one more time and delivered a roundhouse kick, sending the jackal flying so fast that he created a hole in the brick wall covering Eggman's lab. The Jackal Squad leader struggled to get up and watched as Shadow glared at him, "You're not even worth the effort of finishing off. Face me again when you're a real challenge." the jackal tried to punch Shadow, but he shoved his fist away, "But as some advice, do not stand in my way again because I won't grant you this pity." he left for real this time, leaving the jackal to think things over.

'**I thought it was over, but I was sorely mistaken.'**

The Ultimate Mercenary had spent a while looking for his squad. And after what felt like an eternity, he finally found , they state he found them in was not good. They were still, unmoving. None of them could hear his words, he tried to wake them, but they did not. The jackal collapsed to his knees in grief, stray tears falling on his face. "My squad... my only _family_... gone..." he muttered in sadness to himself.

With a stricken heart, the Ultimate Mercenary reached for his communicator, his voice strained as he spoke, "Doctor... I wish to aid in your experiment. To avenge my fallen brethren..."

* * *

_**Six months ago...**_

'**Then on the day of the takeover, I received word that Eggman was attacking the city on South Island and set out to rendezvous with Sonic and Tails. Finding Eggman at the time could've also given me a clue on Omega's whereabouts as he was shut down a day earlier at this point.'**

Shadow arrived in the city, already overrun by robots. He huffed as he passed by multiple burning buildings. Egg Pawns were seen chasing civilians. Not one to leave an innocent life, Shadow simply boosted through them. The civilians watched as the yellow blur moved on without a moment's thought. The Ulltimate Life-Form ran up a building and landed on the rooftop, taking notice of all the destruction. "What is the doctor's game this time?" he wondered to himself.

Deciding he wasn't going to get answers standing around, Shadow skated through the robots deeper into the city. So far he couldn't find Sonic or Eggman. The Ultimate Lifeform leaped over a small chasm and used the grind rail to reach further into the city as planned.

He noticed a swarm of Slicers in his path. Not one to back down, Shadow slid underneath all their pincers and kicked them so hard they exploded. "Pathetic. The doctor must really be trying hard this time." he spotted more civilians in need of help and set out to do that again.

Shadow grabbed an Egg Pawn and tossed it aside, kicking back a charging Motobug. More enemies were coming. He threw a Chaos Spear to short-circuit a Newtron homing in on him. The toughest foe however was the Egg Hammer. It brought down its hammer, to which Shadow leaped back. The agent hopped on the head of the hammer and used a Homing Attack to dent its metallic body.

"Look out!" a cat screamed.

Looking up, Shadow spotted a Buzz Bomber aiming its stinger at him. He threw a Chaos Spear at it and let it explode. Focusing back on the Egg Hammer, Shadow landed atop of its head and punched right through it, destroying it in a single punch before it could cause more damage. Seeing the area was cleared, he continued his chase.

'**I noticed how things were getting odder than usual soon enough.'**

The hedgehog paused however, when he spotted three mysterious equine beings moving in the distance, "What the—?" he cut himself off. Curious, he decided to follow their path, wondering if he could get any leads. So he continued skating, hoping to find exactly that.

Unfortunately for Shadow, something pushed him out of the blue and he fell on his face. He heard some strange footsteps and his vision went blurry for a few seconds. Once he was able to properly stand again, Shadow stood up and shook the cobwebs out of his head. His eyes widened, as he realized he was no longer in the city, standing on a metal floor... and gazing directly at Planet Mobius through a glass panel.

'**The next thing I knew I awoke in the Space Colony ARK.'**

"How...?" Shadow asked himself.

Curious, he slowed his pace and wandered through the labs. Everything was exactly as he remembered it the last time he was here. Yet, it didn't show signs of age or the fact it was crumbling apart. The fact he was even here was bizarre to him, since he had no clue on how it even happened.

'**Then I discovered there was an uninvited guest.'**

Shadow could sense something was off. The hedgehog acted on instinct and swerved to the left, dodging a powerful beam of pure dark energy. He crouched and looked at the culprit. The being looked exactly like him, except his quills were purple and he had no visible mouth on his muzzle.

"We meet again, Shadow the Hedgehog."

The black hedgehog scowled, "Who are you?"

The being creepily walked towards Shadow, "Your anti-thesis. A being you have long forgotten, and your own Shadow. _Mephiles_."

Mephiles. Something about that name sounded familiar to Shadow, and yet he couldn't figure out how. "Mephiles... I do not know you. Now leave before I force you to."

Mephiles laughed, "Impossible. You, Sonic, and Silver thought you were rid of me forever, but it's not true. I haunt your mind Shadow. The deepest darkest recesses of it in fact. And I have been brought back to the forefront to torment your existence once more."

Scowling, Shadow asked, "How are you here then?"

Scretching his arms, Mephiles enveloped himself in a dark purple aura. His form began to look crystalline and his legs were covered in purple mist, "_That is something you must figure out for yourself."_

Shadow cracked his knuckles, "Very well."

'**I still do not know who this Mephiles is, but he knew us somehow. His wording made that clear.'**

A puddle of darkness appeared beneath Shadow's feet, keeping him still. The black hedgehog gritted his teeth as he struggled to move. Mephiles began to duplicate himself and surround Shadow. The Ultimate Life-Form activated his hover shoes and threw a Chaos Spear at one of the fakes. "_I am surprised you are still powerful after going soft. I am ashamed."_

"You act as if we know one another." Shadow scoffed, hovering over the darkness.

Mephiles laughed, "_But we do, Shadow. That's the beauty of it all."_ he opened a palm and shot out a sphere of dark energy at the GUN agent. Shadow kicked it aside and touched the ground. He skated forward and elbowed one of the dark being's duplicates, driving his fist directly onto Mephiles. The dark entity growled and pushed Shadow back with a powerful aura, one similar to Shadow's own. The being of darkness watched Shadow hit the wall of the lab they were in, collapsing on his knees in an alarming amount of pain for him.

Letting out a cough, Shadow rubbed his arm. "It's strange. I remember fighting you, and yet I don't. You're an enigma." he was then blasted back by Mephiles and kicked aside while he was on the ground. He grunted his pain. Then Mephiles struck him down with a powerful sphere of darkness, covering his entire body in purple mist.

"_Ah, I must admit I wasn't expecting these results."_ came another voice.

Levitating into the room was a being in black, a red aura covering his body, and a mask over his face. Mephiles was still now, as though to give this newcomer an entrance. "_It appears my Phantom Ruby can manipulate one's mind deeper than I anticipated. This will do nicely."_

Struggling to break free from his new prison, Shadow said, "Now who are you?"

"_Hm. How sad you do not recognize me, Shadow. After all, you were the one who elminated my entire squad. If you must know, I am Infinite. And it'll be the last name you'll ever hear, but you are lucky I have greater plans for you. A way to torment your existence."_ Infinite revealed.

'**It was then I realized that Infinite was formerly the leader of the Jackal Squad. He had found me in the name of revenge for that mission so long ago. Unfortunately, I was unable to fight back.'**

"What's your plan, you weak mercenary?" Shadow snarled.

Infinite laughed as Shadow was dropped onto the floor by a pile of red cubes, Mephiles fading away. "_Tossing insults now are we?"_ he wagged a finger, "_With my ruby, I can tear everything you know and love apart. To... improve you so to say. The equine proved a successful guinea pig, but knowing your mind is already damaged shall make it easer for me."_ he opened his palms and Shadow's vision was covered in nothing but dark red.

'**That is the last thing I remember until Sonic and Tails broke whatever he did to my mind.'**

* * *

"So... that's it?" Sonic asked.

Shadow silently nodded and looked at Omega, relieved that his comrade was still in one piece. Twilight thought over everything, writing what she deemed important in a notebook, "So, most of Eggman's elite are fakes then?"

"Most." Shadow repeated, "I am confident the doctor has a Metal Sonic built, and Infinite mentioned testing his Phantom Ruby on an equine."

Spike whispered to the alicorn, "You don't think..."

"Possibly, Spike. Starlight may not have turned against us after all." Twilight answered, a small smile growing on her muzzle.

Classic Sonic raised a hand, which got Tails' attention, "What is it?" he asked. The smaller Sonic did a few gestures to explain himself, and Tails replied, "Eggman didn't use the Phantom Ruby to make fakes in your world? Based on what Shadow explained, it can possibly be a means of both warping space and time and creating illusions."

"So what, all this time we've been fighting ghosts? How can they pack a punch then?" Rainbow wondered.

"The ruby can mess with our minds and make us believe what we see is real. Almost like virtual reality." Shadow elaborated for the pegasus.

Sonic said, "Then I guess it's up to us to find a way to counter the Phantom Ruby then. What do you say, Commander?" he asked Knuckles.

"Let's do it then. First we need to come up with a plan." the echidna said.

"I can help with that." Tails spoke up.

Suddenly, a loud beeping noise was heard and the room went dark. Fluttershy gulped, "Oh no! Have we been found?!"

Running to the laptop, Amy pressed a few buttons and answered, "No, actually. We're getting an emergency distress signal."

"Play it." Knuckles ordered. Amy did as instructed.

"_This is Commander Abraham Tower calling the Resistance. I repeat, this is Commander Abraham Tower of G.U.N. calling the Resistance. Is anyone receiving this message?"_ called out an elder voice.

Shadow was the first to respond, "We read you, Commander."

The GUN commander audibly growled, "_You have no business answering this call, traitor scum."_

Rouge was next to respond, "He's on our side again, Commander. Eggman tampered with his mind."

"_Trust doesn't come easy in times of war, Agent Rouge."_ Tower said.

Sonic sighed and decided to join, "Listen, Commander. Shadow's on the side of good again. If it'll help ease your mind, I'll tag along. So what's the problem?"

"_Dr. Eggman and Queen Chrysalis have launched an assault on Prison Island. Unfortunately, we do not have the manpower to fend them off for long. Are you able to help us?"_

"Sure thing." Sonic answered, "Just hold them off a little longer."

The call ended, and Knuckles said, "We all can't afford to go, Sonic. Some of you will head to Prison Island while the rest of us come up with a plan to bring down Eggman for good."

The hedgehog smirked, "I can live with that. And I think I know just who to bring."

It was time for yet another battle it seemed.


	15. Neo Prison Island: Flickies' Island

The Resistance was on another shuttle on the way to their next destination. Sonic decided to bring along Shadow, Rouge, Fluttershy, Twilight, and Amy. Speaking of, Sonic spoke to the pink hedgehog, "Thanks for coming along this time, Amy. I thought you were going to stay behind a monitor this whole time."

Amy smirked, "And say no to you asking for my help? I'll take what I can get." Sonic rolled his eyes at that.

"So I read about GUN yesterday. We're going to their prison?" Twilight asked.

"Yes. They built a new fortified prison after the other one blew up." Shadow explained.

"Blow up? How did that happen?" Fluttershy wondered.

Shadow crossed his arms and looked down in shame, "The doctor... and well..."

Rouge waved a hand and changed that matter, "Let's not get into that. The old island became an uninhabitable nuclear wasteland after Eggman blew it up, and so they built a new harbor right on the border of Flicky Island per Sonic's suggestion toe ensure the flickies' safety. Ever since the takeover, they have used it as their own fortified headquarters. If Eggman and Chrysalis destroy it, that means we'll have less allies to rely on."

"But we won't have to worry about that." Sonic assured with a wink, "We got this in the bag."

Amy folded her hands and a faint blush appeared on her cheeks, but she shook off her brief daydream to focus on the mission at hand. Twilight and Fluttershy were confused by Amy's behavior, but chose not to say anything. "Just as long as Infinite isn't there, we'll be fine." Twilight said.

"If he's there I'll just kick his butt again." Sonic assured.

Twilight blinked and tried to forget the encounter in Metropolis, "Right..."

Sonic folded his arms, "Is something bothering you, Twilight?"

"N-No... it's just..."

Shadow interrupted the alicorn, "We're approaching Neo Prison Island now. We'll rendezvous with the commander and go over a strategy to stop the attack."

Looking out the window, Twilighy and Fluttershy were in awe at the military fortress that awaited them below. It looked heavily fortifed and was built on the end of a tropical island. They would've thought it was an astonishing sight were it not for the robots and changelings attacking. They spotted soldiers, both humans and animals, fending off the impending invasion. Fluttershy muttered out, "Are you sure we shouldn't help them now?"

"Talking to the commander should only take a minute." Rouge said.

The blimp landed, and the team set out for the main headquarters. Twilight and Fluttershy were immediately in awe at the sight of the large metallic building that stood before them. "Pretty cool, huh? Y'know, after being locked up in the original prison, I have to admit what they did to the new one looks pretty cool too."

"You were locked up?" Twilight asked.

Sonic shrugged, "Long story. Let's just say being captured by Eggman reminded me of that day. It wasn't pleasant at all. Especially when each of our foes came in each day taunting me."

"I'm sorry you went through that." Fluttershy apologized.

"No need to apologize. Tails and Amy helped break me out and my name was cleared." Sonic said.

The team arrived at the main lab and were greeted by an older looking man. Fluttershy believed him to be one of the humans like she and Twilight saw on the way over. "Girls, this is Commander Tower. The acting superior to GUN and Shadow, Omega, and myself." Rouge introduced her boss to the equines.

"We thank you for coming." Commander Tower greeted the Resistance as he glanced over to the ponies, "Who are they?"

Shadow answered, "Allies in the war. They were brought here by the doctor and Infinite and have decided to aid us." Twilight and Fluttershy waved awkwardly at the GUN Commander.

The Commander squinted at Shadow, looking uneasy, "As much as I want to believe it, I'd prefer if you explain why you turned traitor for the past six months before I demonstrate to our visitors why this prison is the way it is."

Sonic said, "Look, Commander. Infinite did something to his mind. The other baddies running around were... what's a good way to describe them?"

"Fakes created by the Phantom Ruby. For the sake of it we should call them Phantoms." Twilight finished stating for him.

"Right, that."

Commander scowled, "Very well. Just know I'm keeping a close eye on you, Shadow."

"Of course. Just know that I want the doctor gone as much as everyone else." Shadow assured. "Now, where are Eggman and Chrysalis at?"

Tower said, "Our troops are scattered throughout the Metal Harbor and the mainland. Changelings and Eggman's robots are with them as well. It'd be for the best if you split up."

Sonic cracked his knuckles, "Alrighty then. Twilight and Fluttershy can come with me in the jungle. Amy, Shadow, and Rouge can stay in the harbor."

Shadow smirked, "Who says you get to lead us around?"

"Got any other ideas, Shadow?" Sonic asked his former rival.

"...Twilight and Rouge may assist me." Shadow decided.

"Glad we reached an impasse... Wait, what?" Sonic blurted out.

"Yay!" Amy cheered before clearing her throat, "Oh uh, I mean, sure."

Sonic rolled his eyes, "Fine then. Come on. We have to hurry."

* * *

_**Green Grove...**_

The flicky-inhabited lands were already torn asunder. Unfortunately, the birds were not capable of fending themselves and as a result, Eggman managed to overwhelm it easily, even with GUN proving an ally to the island. A man shot a laser at the changelings, one of them creating a barrier to deflect the beams. He screamed, "Oh no, our weapons are useless!"

The swarm got closer to the soldiers fending them off, the flickies they were defending cowering behind their legs. Luckily, a blue blur swooped in and smacked the changelings back with a series of powerful Homing Attacks. "Ha! Man, that never gets old." Sonic laughed.

Amy and Fluttershy were catching up behind him. "Can you... go slower... next time...?" Fluttershy panted as she stretched her wings. She lowered her head at the sight of the birds hiding, "Aw, you don't have to be scared little flickies." she cooed. The blue one walked to the caretaker pegasus and saw Sonic standing immediately. It was upon seeing the blue hedgehog that the flickies stepped out of their hiding spots to meet the friendly newcomer, "See? We won't hurt you."

Sonic smiled, "I guess you really do have a way with the critters."

The man who dropped his laser stood in awe, "Sonic? We heard rumors that you were alive, but I didn't think—"

"Reports of my death were greatly exaggerated." Sonic quipped. "So what's the sit-rep?"

The soldier replied, "Eggman and Chrysalis arrived on Neo Prison Island sometime before the Resistance was called. We tried to hold off the army, but their leaders are looking to be overwhelming."

Amy asked, "Do you know where either of them are?"

"A team was sent deeper into the Rusty Ruin after Chrysalis. We haven't gotten any reports back though."

Fluttershy gulped, "Oh no..."

Sonic said, "Don't worry, Fluttershy. But if you want to stay here with the troops and Flickies, you're free to do so."

"No... I want to help... Even if I am scared." Fluttershy told the hedgehog.

Amy replied, "Glad to hear it. Now let's head there now."

And so, Sonic, Fluttershy, and Amy arrived at the Rusty Ruins. The smog pretty much covered their vision. "Wow, it looks way worse here than last time. Then again, it's an abandoned temple that Eggman got his hands on while I was gone." Sonic pointed out, squinting in hopes of finding something. He looked at his friends, "Wait here."

Amy reached out a hand as Sonic zoomed away, "Sonic, wait! Ugh, I hate it when he does that." she inhaled and decided to focus on the task at hand. Her and Fluttershy continued walking, but was greeted by Sonic a minute later, the blue hero stepping out of the fog. "Did you find anything?"

Sonic shook his head, "Nothing. Weird, huh?"

"None of the troops?" Fluttershy asked.

Shaking his head again, Sonic said, "Nah. We're better off sticking together now." he walked next to Amy and wrapped an arm around her and smirked, "Say, it's pretty spooky in these ruins. You should stick next to me for protection."

"S-Sonic?" Amy muttered out.

"What? I can't be next to you? I thought you of all people would be cool with that, Ames." Sonic asked.

Amy blushed at the nickname Sonic gave her, "N-No, I don't mind it at all actually." she reached for Sonic's hand, and to her surprise, he held it.

Fluttershy tilted her head, "Um, Sonic. Are you okay?"

Sonic said, "Never better now that I'm with Amy. Just focus on what's ahead of you, alright?"

As much as Amy wanted to question his sudden shift in behavior, Amy would be lying if she said she didn't enjoy it. She leaned her head on Sonic's shoulder. Surprisingly, he didn't resist. That immediately raised a flag and raised herself, "Okay, what's going on with you?"

With a nervous smile, Sonic answered, "Nothing at all, Ames. I just wanted to spend some time with my favorite hedgehog."

"It's unlike you to be this... affectionate I noticed." Fluttershy noted.

"Seriously, you faker! At least the Phantom Ruby would try to pretend to act like me!"

The voice echoed across the ruins and a blue blur suddenly appeared and tackled Sonic, catching Amy and Flutterhy off-guard. The pink hedgehog and pegasus watched as Sonic tackled another hedgehog who looked exactly like Sonic. "Amy, Fluttershy! I got the fake right here!"

"No, he's the faker!" the other Sonic said.

Fluttershy's eyes widened, "Chrysalis! She made herself look like Sonic to throw us off!"

"I should've realized it." Amy said to herself, her grip on her Piko Piko Hammer tightening. She eyed both Sonics and snarled at them both, "Okay. I'm going to ask a few questions to see which of you is the real Sonic."

One Sonic toppled over the other and pinned him down, "Alright then, bring it on!"

"...Which one of you will like to go on a date with me?" Amy asked, much to Fluttershy's confusion.

"I'm down for that. Just tell me where to go." the Sonic standing on the left said.

The other Sonic rolled his eyes and shrugged, "Are we really doing this now?"

With a smirk, Amy said, "Bingo!"

She ran forward and swung her hammer upwards, striking the first Sonic that answered. The fake hedgehog reared back and was launched into the air. Fluttershy squeaked at the sight, and looked at the Sonic left standing. "Are you alright, Sonic?"

"Eh, I'm fine. Faker over here tried to capture me in some coccoon, but they were in such a rush that they didn't do a really good job of it." Sonic explained. He crossed his arms, "Yeah, running off was kind of a bad idea because of it. Speaking of, how did you figure out I was the real deal?"

Amy teased, "Because I know you'll never directly say yes to that question. The one time you did decide to, you used flimsy wording and then bailed."

Sonic sighed, "I told you, I was summoned to another world to fight a bunch of knights and a sorceress."

"Still not buying it." Amy shot back.

"Um, guys..." Fluttershy pointed to the fake Sonic, who finally started moving again.

The fake Sonic was covered in a green aura, revealing her true form as Chrysalis. "Foolish heroes... You're only delaying the inevitable."

"How so? Amy saw through your lame ruse. I say it's game over. So why don't you do us a favor and fade away like all the other Phantom Ruby fakes right now before we embarrass you?" Sonic suggested to the changeling queen.

Chrysalis spat, "It would be unwise to face you all right now. No, I will not fall here." she glared daggers at Fluttershy, "But mark my words, I will have my revenge on you and your little pony friends." she warned as she hovered away, a swarm of changelings suddenly appearing from the smoke. The heroes tried to give chase, but all of them were struck by a green beam from above, Chrysalis' horn glowing.

"Great..." Sonic said under his breath.

The bug-like beings buzzed at the sight of the heroes and charged after them. Sonic smirked, "Okay, Amy. Got a clean strategy on how to take these guys on?"

Amy winked, "Kinda. I say just go nuts!"

"My kinda plan! Woo!" Sonic cheered, using a Spin-Dash to push a few of them back. The blue hedgehog uncurled and performed a dropkick on another before hitting the ground. Each of the bugs faded in the cubes he'd come to expect. He stretched his legs and went after more of the changelings.

In a panic, Fluttershy unfurle her wings hovered over a beam of changeling magic causing it to hit their brethren, an unplanned course of action for the pegasus. She moved around in hopes of losing the creatures in the fog. Fluttershy found a broken column and hid behind it, wondering what she could do next. She never was much of a fighter... but Sonic and Amy needed her help. Looking ahead, she spotted a slope and more changelings heading their way. And so, Fluttershy grunted as she pushed down the old stone column, it landing horizontally. With one more push, she rolled it down, causing the army to fade away. Fluttershy was grateful they weren't real changelings. Wiping the sweat off her head she muttered, "That was tiring."

Amy slammed her hammer down, creating a powerful shockwave that made all the changelings around her stumble on their backs. "Ha!" she grunted, moving her weapon so that it smacked a bug creature trying to attack from behind. "You'll have to do better than that!" she mocked them, spinning around so that each of the changelings reaching for her were all smacked aside by her Piko Piko Hammer. Once she stopped, the pink hedgehog shook her head, feeling a little dizzy. Amy brought her weapon down once more, making a tremor powerful enough to launch all the grounded changelings into the air.

All the tossed changelings were taken care of by Sonic, who charged a Light-Speed Attack to take them all down one by one in a matter of seconds. The blue hero was surrounded by purple cubes once he was done with them. He was about to get tackled by a changeling he missed, but Fluttershy stepped on its head, making it fade. "Nice one, Fluttershy!" Sonic complimented.

"Huh? Oh." Fluttershy noticed the cubes scattering where she was standing. "I got tired while flying and must've hit one while fixing myself."

"It worked at least." Sonic said.

The last of the changeling swarm appeared from the fog. Sonic looked to Amy, "Yo, Amy. You up for a little tag-team Spin-Dash combo?"

Amy held her hammer behind her head, "You bet!"

Sonic curled into a ball and Amy swung at the hedgehog, Fluttershy taken aback. Sonic managed to hit a changeling, bounce off another one, hit yet one more and bounce back to Amy, who swung her hammer once more. More of the swarm got wiped out one by one, purple cubes scattering all over the fog.

With one last swing, Sonic took care of the last changeling and decided to uncurl, shaking the cobwebs out of his head after spinning for so long. He dusted his hands and said, "Nice work, guys. Now we just gotta find the rest of the troops who came through here."

"Freeze!" the voice prompted Sonic, Amy and Fluttershy to cringe as a group of GUN soldiers wandered through the smoke. One of them aimed their weapons at them, "State your business being here!"

Sonic calmly said, "Uh, I'm Sonic the Hedgehog and these are my friends. We're here to help you. I think that should be enough to convince you to lower that laser gun of yours."

The human said, "And how do we know that you're not one of those changelings pretending to be them?"

"Can anyone be as cool and blue as me? Chrysalis tried and hilariously messed up." Sonic wondered.

"...You're the real deal." the GUN soldier said while lowering his weapon.

Fluttershy blinked, "I didn't think convincing you would be that easy."

The soldier replied, "After a while you start to realize he has a distinct attitude. Pleasure to meet you, by the way. I presume you are one of the equines the Commander spoken about?" Fluttershy nodded, "Great. The more assistance the better I always say." he added.

"We heard a small group diverged into the ruins. Where are they?" Amy asked.

Pointing behind him, the man said, "The rest of the squadron went into the Spring Stadium to help better fend off the invasion. Unfortunately, it isn't exactly a pleasant place to wander and strategize."

Sonic chuckled, "You're telling me. I don't know why any changeling would want to go in there."

"Is there anything else you need assistance with?" Fluttershy asked.

The man said, "I think we're in the clear thanks to you three."

Scratching his head, Sonic suggested, "It wouldn't hurt to round up the remaining flickies and get them to safety."

"I didn't know you were so protective of woodland animals, Sonic." Fluttershy noticed.

"There's a reason why I went after Eggman, Fluttershy." Sonic revealed. "I can tell you the whole story while we find them."

Amy said, "Bragging now, Sonic?"

Sonic responded, "Hey, my adventure on South Island is iconic. If he were here, Classic me would agree with me."

Rolling her eyes, the pink hedgehog said, "Carry on then."

Sonic, Fluttershy and Amy all looked around the ruins as Sonic spoke to Fluttershy, "Well I arrived on South Island..."

* * *

_**New Metal Harbor...**_

"Get back!"

A wolf used their grapple to reel back one of their comrades. The human sighed in relief as he narrowly missed getting stomped on by an Egg Hammer. "Thanks for the save there." he thanked.

"Not a problem." the wolf responded.

The Egg Hammer was ready to strike, but suddenly it combusted. From the smoke revealed Shadow the Hedgehog, looking no worse for wear. "What is the situation here?"

The human aimed his laser at Shadow, "T-Traitor! Stand back!"

"At ease, soldier." Rouge assured the uneasy man and wolf, "Shadow is on our side. Infinite and Eggman was controlling him ever since the takeover started."

Twilight landed next to the bat, "Sonic the Hedgehog was the one to bring him back."

The wolf's jaw dropped, "Sonic really is alive?! Yes! I knew he wasn't dead! Is he here?"

Shadow folded his arms, "He's on the island itself. Is the doctor within the vicinity?"

Raising a finger, the human said, "Yeah. He should be on the Weapons Bed."

"Then we have no time to waste." Shadow scowled and darted off.

"Shadow—" Rouge spoke up, annoyed that her friend just ran off in a yellow blur to handle things himself. "Great. Looks like we have to catch up."

"Is Shadow usually as hasty as Sonic?" Twilight asked.

Rolling her eyes, Rouge chuckled, "You have no idea. Unlike Sonic, he still acts like a loner. But he's really friendly once you get to know him." she assured, flapping her wings alongside Twilight to get through the harbor. More robots guarded the air and sky. Rouge held a sphere in her hand and threw it at one of the Egg Drones, it detonating upon contact. She smiled and looked to Twilight, who blasted some of the drones back, "Nice to know you alicorns are well-versed in magic. Your unicorn friend had some good spells too."

"I've been practicing my whole life." Twilight admitted, shielding herself from pellets being shot at her. Looking down she spotted some taller robots, but they didn't look like the designs she had come to expect from Eggman. Her attention was immediately drawn to the GUN on their bodies, "Are those... GUN robots?"

Rouge gritted her teeth and drill-kicked the robot to pieces. "Eggman must have hacked into our defenses. No doubt Shadow is already on his way to stop him."

Meanwhile, Shadow boosted through the harbor, smashing through every robot that stood in his path. He was done playing around, he finally had a chance to fight back in a world that fell apart and he was going to take that chance. He growled as he jumped over a stack of crates and used his hover shoes to make his way to the next platform. He needed to catch up with Eggman as fast as possible.

More hacked GUN drones began targeting him. Shadow took no time in dismantling them as well, using his boost to tear right through Eggman's defenses along the way. One by one, they fell by Shadow's hand.

On the weapons platform, Shadow found Eggman, who was piloting his mech. The black hedgehog got to a fighting stance and confronted the doctor. "Finally. We meet at last once more, Shadow. Such a shame you turned to the losing side." Eggman said to his enemy.

"I'm through playing games, doctor. I'll make you regret using me as a puppet all this time." Shadow hissed, walking forward to Eggman slowly. Eggman tried to shoot at him, but Shadow avoided each blast, moving as though he never teleported. He was unfazed, which caught the mad scientist off guard. He even backhanded one of the blasts as he marched forward. It was time to settle the score.

Eggman's mech proved no match for Shadow's unrelenting nature. He tore right through the weapons with a Homing Attack and cut right through the legs holding the mech up. He dented the metal with each precise strike. Shadow even struck through the robots that were around the doctor. Finally, the mech collapsed and the Egg-Mobile fell to its side, Eggman coughed because of the smoke and he looked up to Shadow. "W-What are you doing?"

"Finally. I can end this war once and for all."

"You dare defy me, Shadow? You were proving quite capable as a destroyer. Did you forget that as a creation of _my_ grandfather that you were destined to be my follower? Just like how it was all those years ago?" Eggman asked.

Shadow crossed his arms, "I made a promise to protect this planet. Because of you, doctor, you made me defile Maria's memory and used me to cause pain and destruction in this world. I am done with this charade." he raised his arm, "This time you're going straight to—"

"Shadow!" Twilight called out, "What are you doing?"

The hedgehog growled at the alicorn, "Ending this war before it escalates further. Clearly you're all incapable of doing the deed, so I'm ridding the world of Eggman's evil myself."

"We need him alive, Shadow. Only he knows how to stop the Phantom Ruby." Rouge told her friend.

Eggman smiled maniacally, "Ah, yes. Of course. Come now, Shadow. Do not do it."

Twilight said, "He needs to answer for his crimes, Shadow. Killing isn't the only solution. Once you kill him, we still have the matter of every other rogue and... Infinite. Doing it would change nothing right now."

"Forget this." Shadow declared, raising his hand once more. However, he found himself unable to move, a green aura covering his body along with Rouge and Twilight. Suddenly, the three of them were pushed back by the aura. Revealing herself was Queen Chrysalis. "You..." grunted Shadow.

"More of your animal friends, doctor?" Chrysalis asked.

"Unfortunately." Eggman said while standing up, adjusting his Egg-Mobile. "You created quite a diversion. I needed time for Chrysalis to come to my aid. I must admit I'm impressed all of you fended off the defenses though. But mark my words, in two days time, your miserable lives will come to an end by my ultimate plan!"

With a slasher smile, Chryalis hissed to Twilight, "And we will be sure to give you Equestrians special treatment. You have gotten in the way of my plans for far too long."

Eggman started his Egg-Mobile while Chrysalis flew away, pushing the heroes into the water with her magic. Shadow got his bearings and used his hover shoes to catch Rouge and Twilight, dropping them on the platform where they once more. "I had it covered. And now they're getting away."

"Yeah, and you possibly almost ruined our only lead on stopping Infinite for good." Rouge countered, "I get that your upset, Shadow. But this isn't the solution. Not when we have a chance of truly turning the tables."

"And imagine what would happen if Sonic found out you ended Eggman's life. I heard you two are prone to fighting, and I imagine that's one more reason for Sonic to do so." Twilight pointed out.

"..." Shadow paused, "...Fine. Next time we find the doctor, we'll get answers out of him."

Twilight looked around the harbor, "Should we explain to the commander what happened?"

"We should. At the very least the attack is over, so we should head back to HQ to figure out our next course of action." Rouge suggested.


	16. Chemical Plant: Chemical Plant

The mission on Neo Prison Island was wrapped up and the team was on their way back according to Rouge, who delivered the message to Knuckles. The Resistance awaited the return of those sent out before continuing, but a two-tailed fox walked into the same room as Knuckles and said, "Hey, Knuckles. I think I have an idea."

"What is it?" Knuckles asked.

Tails raised a finger, "I'm sure Eggman keeps information on the Phantom Ruby somewhere, and I'm betting it's in the Chemical Plant. Didn't you say he kept a database there?"

Knuckles nodded, "Yeah, Rouge mentioned it after we rescued Sonic. But I'm sure it's heavily guarded now that we have a chance of taking it down. Why? What are you thinking about?"

"I'm thinking about getting into the Chemical Plant and hacking into that database so we can find a weakness. There has to be something we can use to our advantage." Tails suggested, holding a flashdrive in his fingers.

The Commander replied, "Well, alright then. It shouldn't be as heavily guarded as Metropolis or the Death Egg at the very least. Just be sure to bring some backup."

Tails added, "I will. I'll ask Classic Sonic and Spike if they want to come along."

Knuckles nodded, "Well, alright then. Just be careful out there. Sonic and Twilight wouldn't be too happy if something were to happen to you guys."

"I promise we'll be safe." the fox assured.

* * *

"So you're a time-traveler?" Spike asked. Him, Classic Sonic, Applejack and Silver were all conversing to pass the time until they were needed.

Silver nodded, "I am. Although I'm still new to it, I've been coming back and forth to protect the future; my present."

Spike replied, "That's so cool!"

"Ah guess. Minus the part where he has to keep savin' it." Applejack partially agreed.

Classic Sonic rubbed his head and gestured to Silver to ask a question. The time-traveler replied, "The Time Stones? I heard of them, mostly from Modern Sonic... I still have to get used to that... but I've never used them before. I use Chaos Control to create a rift to send me back and forth." the small hedgehog nodded, "How are things in your timeline by the way? I hope things are better there than they are here."

The hedgehog nodded to that. Although he just saved his world yet again, he hoped things were fine while he was gone. He had no idea if Eggman was capable of hatching any new schemes in his absence no matter how brief. Then again, he assumed Tails and Knuckles could handle it. Maybe even that armadillo and flying squirrel he met sometime ago could lend a hand. Then again, it had been a while since they last met, and he had no idea where they were even at.

"Thinking about your world?" Spike asked his hedgehog friend, who sighed.

Applejack said, "Don't worry, sugarhog. We'll get ya back to yer Mobius."

"And if Eggman is causing havok like this, don't be afraid to reach out to us." Silver said, "We're happy to help you out."

Walking into the room was Tails, who focused his attention to the dragon and blue hedgehog. "Hey, guys. Are you up for a quick mission?"

Perking up, Classic Sonic pumped a fist. Spike shrugged, "Sure. Where to?"

"The Chemical Plant on West-Side Island. I believe we can hack into Eggman's database and figure out how to stop the Phantom Ruby." Tails explained. "And since important information is on there, he probably has some form of security there to guard it. I could use your help."

Spike asked, "Are you sure you don't want to bring along anyone else? I don't know how much help we'd be now."

Tails replied, "Theoretically I could, but after everything we've endured together since you two arrived, why wouldn't I ask you guys? Plus everyone else should recover still. And you have to admit the three of us are a pretty good team."

With a grin, Spike replied, "You're right. We are pretty cool together. Wanna stick with us, Sonic?" said hedgehog enthusiastically nodded at that. "Cool! Looks like we're coming along."

"Thank you guys. Really. Now let's get the Tornado prepped." Tails responded.

Applejack put a hoof on the drake's shoulders, "Go on, partner. If Twi gets back before ya, Ah'll tell her where yer at. At the very least, Ah'm sure she wouldn't be too worried about ya'll."

* * *

The Tornado landed perfectly fine at the Chemical Plant. No resistance or anything was found along the way, which Tails found odd. The trio wandered into the lab, the first thing they were greeted with was a dimly-lit yellow room. Inside they spotted all sorts of mechanisms and blue tubes. Around certain areas were purple liquid. "This is the Chemical Plant? I guess it lives up to the name." Spike commented, holding his nose to keep away the smell.

"Yep. Eggman's been showing some favoritism towards this place lately." Tails revealed, Classic Sonic agreeing. "And knowing Eggman, he most likely has kept whatever research he did on the Phantom Ruby here in the event his labs were shut down. We should be careful though, who knows who or what Eggman is keeping here to keep the Resistance out."

Classic Sonic nodded. He had to admit the Chemical Plant looked different than when he was last here. It looked more... active. All the machines in the back were certainly moving at a good pace. The small hedgehog guessed that the Eggmen had some sort of attraction to this place since they kept coming back to it. And Green Hill for that matter. Ah well, he shrugged to himself. He needed to focus on the task at hand.

Holding his friends' hands, Tails flew them up to the yellow surface of one of the tubes. Once they landed, Spike took a moment to question, "So we can actually stand on these things?" he looked ahead and noticed more terrain, "...I guess going this way was necessary."

"It pretty much is. This is how Sonic and I usually wander around here, and it shouldn't be too hard for you since you know how to use the Spin Attack. All you have to do is roll down the slopes and gain momentum to reach some of the higher paths. We came to accept that the higher ground is usually the best route." Tails explained.

Classic Sonic decided to go first, using his Drop-Dash to quickly gain speed. He rolled down the large slope and gained enough momentum to reach one of the higher platforms that stood quite a distance from where they were at. He took a bow and gestured for his friends to follow. Spike looked at far down the slope went and gulped. Holding back his worries he jumped and rolled, "Whoa!" he bellowed out, flipping on the surface before he reached the ramp at the end of the tube. He found himself standing next to Classic Sonic and dusted off whatever dirt he picked up from his scales. "Huh. That was actually pretty fun." he admitted.

Arriving after him was Tails, who uncurled next to him. "Told you it was easy." he said with a smirk.

"You were right. So... any idea how to navigate this place?" Spike asked.

The fox shrugged, "I imagine the database we're looking for is on the lower levels. This place keeps changing, so it might not be easy as we hoped."

Classic Sonic focused his attention to the clear pipes that rested below. Curious, he jumped on the lid and shattered it, allowing himself to enter. "Might as well follow him." Tails said, jumping after Sonic.

Spike gagged, having to roll around more. He wondered how the Resistance managed it. Putting that aside, he leaped in and went into the tubes. He slid on the ground and found himself standing on yet another tube. "Whoa. What is Eggman keeping in these anyway?"

"Mega Mack. I have no idea what it is, but it's some kind of purple liquid. I have no idea why he wants to use it though. Don't worry though, as far as I'm aware, it's non-lethal if we fall into it." Tails briefly explained.

The dragon scratched his head, "That's good to know."

The three continued and found themselves climbing an upwards slope. Classic Sonic had the most trouble surprisingly, his feet sliding constantly. It felt a bit... wonky. Normally he wouldn't have had this much trouble back in his world. He just assumed his legs were tired and marched on. He finally reached the top of the slope, noticing a large drop awaiting the three of them, with a loop finishing it off to boot. Spike rolled his eyes, "Great. More rollercoaster action. And I thought the casino was bad."

"You get used to it. I felt the same way when I started joining Sonic for his adventures." Tails replied.

Classic Sonic used his Drop-Dash and went first making his way around a loop and landing on a higher platform. Spike and Tails rolled down the rube and appeared next to the hedgehog. Spike said, "So is it just me or have things been a little quiet around here?"

Tails replied, "I agree. That's... not usually a good sign. That probably means whatever security Eggman has here is waiting for us. Hopefully it's just the usual Badniks."

As if on cue, Classic Sonic immediately took notice of the black Egg Pawns aiming their blasters at them. "Jinxed it." Spike grumbled to himself. Tails was the first to take action, leaping and following by slamming his tails downwards, causing the robots to stumble forward. He landed, but was immediately pulled upwards by a spider-like Badnik. His body was trapped in its metal arms. Spike and Classic Sonic jumped and sliced through the Grabber, setting the fox free. He rubbed his sore sides, "Nice save, guys."

Out of nowhere, pellets began to appear out of nowhere and decked Classic Sonic in the head, making him cringe and lose a few rings when it did happen. Spike and Tails rubbed their heads at the reaction, having never seen him do that before. They decided to focus their efforts on the Spiny crawling on the floor once Sonic got his bearings. "That thing looks annoying." Spike commented.

"You have no idea..." Tails replied.

Classic Sonic rolled on the Spiny and destroyed it. He uncurled and looked visibly annoyed at what just happened. The hedgehog inhaled and decided to pay attention to what was ahead, but was only greeted by more Egg Pawns and even Changelings. "That's new." Tails commented, to which Classic Sonic agreed, never seeing the bug-like creatures until now.

"They're Changelings, before my friend Thorax reformed them." Spike revealed.

Reformed? Sonic wondered how that went down. Clearly these changelings weren't reformed. But then again, he could assume it was the workings of the Phantom Ruby yet again. With each passing hour, he started to hate that thing more than ever. He'll be sure to kick Eggman's butt twice as hard for ever finding it. Since neither this world's Eggman or his own aren't here, he might as well take his frustrations out on his goons.

And so Classic Sonic jumped into battle, faster than Spike and Tails could react, and bounced off each of the Badniks and Changelings without a care in the world. One by one they fell in the blink of an eye. He sliced through one of the robots before roundhouse-kicking a Changeling in the side of the head. He performed a Drop-Dash and slid in order to knock back the last of the robots. Purple and red mist-covered cubes covered the platform the hedgehog was standing as he exhaled, a scowl visible on his face. "Sonic... are you alright?" Tails asked.

Classic Sonic chose to not answer and clenched his fist. He took a few breaths and decided to hold back his anger for now. Might as well save it for the person who deserved it. He gestured for the others to follow him. A door opened and suddenly purple liquid began to flood the area. The trio held their throats as they gasped for air. Classic Sonic was ready to aid his friends by helping them leap to the blocks to trek upwards.

They followed Sonic's example, but felt themselves losing consciousness with each passing second. There were no bubbles in sight to inhale. Seeing a surface, Tails spun his namesakes and wrapped his arms around his friends' backs in order to push them up with him. Finally they reached a platform and collapsed on the floor, panting for air.

"Oh man..." Spike wheezed, "I... What was that...?"

Tails coughed, "...Mega Mack. For some reason it likes to flood certain spots around here."

Shaking his body, Classic Sonic managed to spill droplets of the liquid onto Tails and Spike, who were already drying themselves off. "Not a lot of robots, but this place is still annoying." Spike commented.

"No kidding. I hope that's the last of it." Tails said.

Classic Sonic recognized that they were getting closer to the lower levels of the Chemical Plant. He ran across another tube and rolled down the slope. The small hedgehog halted himself once he saw the Mega Mack awaiting them, with a platform to stand on not too far away. Tails noticed it as well and jumped first, guiding his friends deeper into the plant. "Have you ever been down here, Tails?" Spike asked.

Examining the area, Tails shook his head, "No I don't actually. Weird. Has this part of the plant always been here?" he looked up and saw a giant syringe. "...Okay, I definitely don't remember that being here."

Sonic tapped his chin and jumped on top of it, allowing the green substance to pour onto the blue goop that rested on the floor near them. "Huh. I wonder what that did." Tails said. Spike walked forward and suddenly found himself in the air, landing on the green substance and bouncing once more.

"Whah!" screamed the drake as he tried to get his bearings. Tails started to fly to help his friend out.

Classic Sonic definitely recognized this and jumped in as well, grabbing his friends' hands and bouncing to the tube that was above them. He let go and threw them up with ease before grabbing the edge, allowing Tails and Spike to push him up to their level. "Did you know what that was, Sonic?" Tails asked. Sonic nodded.

"Urgh... that was a little too much airtime for me." Spike gagged as his face turned green.

Tails watched Sonic explain and caught on, and it was yet another thing he experienced just before arriving in their world. Eggman had used the Chemical Plant and challenged Sonic to a... pretty mean bean puzzle challenge. Tails kinda missed when this world's Eggman was that harmless he admitted. Spike stood up and listened in, getting better at understanding Classic Sonic's silent ramblings.

The dragon raised a brow, "Another thing from before you got here? That's starting to happen a lot more often. Do you know your way around here at least."

Classic Sonic took a look around and recognized nothing. He shrugged, assuming that the place was redesigned after Eggman took over the world. Tails said, "Well, at the very least that was a good shortcut. Let's see if the lab's ahead."

Tails, Sonic, and Spike walked down the tube and climbed down back to the metal floor. Another syringe was seen and Tails jumped on it, letting the gel flow onto the surface. The trio jumped and landed on another platform awaiting them past a ton of Mega Mack.

They reached a dimly-lit room with a giant monitor placed right in front of them, the lab in question was bigger than any of them anticipated. It was also empty, being a giant round room with nothing but said monitor placed inside. Spike cheered, "Awesome! Time to do your tech thing, Tails!" he ran forward, but was suddenly stopped by an unknown force.

The hedgehog and fox were blinded by the sudden teal light covering Spike's body. "What the—?" he grunted, getting spun around before being flung to a wall. Tails and Sonic ran to their Equestrian friend to help him up, and were greeted by a unicorn floating from the ceiling, an aura of the same color covering them.

"I didn't think you heroes were foolish enough to come here." Starlight Glimmer said.

Spike's eyes widened, "S-Starlight? Wait... are you a fake?"

The unicorn chuckled, "Oh no, I'm not. I'm just here to pay you and Princess Twilight back for foiling my plans. I didn't think my ruse would fool you for so long."

"W-W-What?" stammered Spike.

Raising a brow, Tails asked, "Ruse?"

Starlight smirked, "It was obvious. Fool Spike and his friends and finally usurp control right under their noses. It was all— oof!" she could't finish her exposition because Classic Sonic smacked her with a Drop-Dash, growing tired of all these supervillain monologues.

"Stupid hedgehog!" snarled the unicorn, trapping Sonic with her telekinesis and slamming him on the ground before tossing him again. "Urgh... Anyway, Eggman promised an equal world. One without conflict, without differences, where everypony and everyone can be equal. Under the Eggman Empire, the world I've sought for can finally be real! But your Resistance keeps getting in the way. I might have to dispose of you myself."

Spike huffed once the mare finished talking, "You're not real. You're just another Phantom Ruby fake. The Starlight we know moved on from that."

Tails readied his arm cannon, "Looks like we have to do this the hard way. I'm sorry, Starlight. I'm sure the real you is really nice."

Starlight scoffed, "_You_ fight me? Please. You couldn't even stop me the first time we fought. All of this is on you, fox boy. You couldn't even help your favorite hero."

"You had help that time. Now it's just you against us." Tails boasted.

Spike sighed. He didn't want to fight the splitting image of someone he considered a friend. But here they were, on opposing sides once more. He curled his hand into fists and did his best to look tough. Tails struck first with a charged shot from his Energy Ball Blaster and aimed it directly in Starlight's direction. The unicorn deflected it with a shield in front of her. While she was focused there, Classic Sonic came back and managed to land a hit on her back, bouncing off of her and spinning his body to avoid the volts of magic being shot at him.

The hedgehog bowed as he landed and pulled the cuffs of his gloves back. He noticed Tails turning to Spike for a plan, "Any ideas how to stop her, Spike?"

Shaking his head, Spike replied, "No clue. Her magic is as strong as Twilight's. Twilight had to reach out to her to stop her. I'm not sure if that's gonna work this time though. She looks to be one of the fakes Shadow mentioned."

"Then I guess we'll just have to wear her down until she fades away like the other fakes." Tails said.

Starlight Glimmer shot a beam of magic from her horn at the trio, Tails cancelling it out with a pellot shot. Classic Sonic scowled and charged his Super Peel-Out. Once his feet were moving in a swift figure-8 motion, he started to run around the unicorn faster than she could react. She tried to use her telekinesis on him, but missed each time. Tails and Spike realized that Classic Sonic was distracting her and decided to act. The fox spun his tails around and hovered in the air, Spike grabbing his hands as he ascended.

It was another one of Tails' old tactics. Tails spun Spike around, the dragon curled into a ball and felt his body spark up. Tails let go and threw Spike, using Thunder Shoot to hit Starlight directly in the back. The drake uncurled and tried to flap his arms to keep himself afloat to no avail. Luckily, Tails caught him and safely dropped him to the ground. "If I ever get wings you have to teach me that one day."

Classic Sonic gave a thumbs up and stopped running. He saw Starlight's fallen form and did the honor of charging a Spin-Dash to deck her chin while she was down. The unicorn attempted to knock him back, but missed again, Sonic still moving too fast for her reflexes. Sonic jumped and kicked the mare in the side. Starlight retaliated by shooting a sphere of magic at Classic Sonic, hitting in the chest as he flipped backwards from the force of the magic projectile.

Getting his bearings, Classic Sonic slid on the ground when he made contact. "It's hopeless for you three. You'll never obtain the Doctor's notes."

Spike used his fire breath to distract Starlight, aiming his green flames in front of her without hitting her, which allowed Tails to knock her down with a swift Spin-Dash. The unicorn fell on her face and could only groan in pain as Classic Sonic jumped on her back. She put her head in her hooves and inhaled.

She groaned. "S-Spike...? Is that you?"

The dragon's scowl was replaced with concern, "Starlight?"

"Y-Yeah..." the unicorn muttered, "You saved me... The Ruby took my mind... Help me up..."

Spike, Classic Sonic, and Tails were uneasy at this, but Spike couldn't ignore his friend's plea if she was telling the truth. This could be like what happened with Shadow. So he walked forward and extended a hand for her to grab, which she accepted. Then in the span of a second, a smirk appeared on her muzzle and she trapped the heroes in her telekinesis. "Fools!" she yelled. "I knew you couldn't resist a tragic cry for help!"

"Y-You liar!" Spike snarled.

Classic Sonic narrowed his gaze. If there was one thing he hated besides Eggman and Metal Sonic, it was someone's kindness being taken advantage of. If he managed a way to break out of this magic grip, he would give Starlight a piece of his mind the only way he knew how.

"I guess you really are a fake. When we get out—" Tails grunted.

Starlight said, "As if I'll let you. It's the end of the line for you, and true equality will be brought to both worlds."

Spike was running out of options, he had to hope this would get her attention. "Hey, Starlight. What would Sunburst and Trixie say about this?"

The unicorn blinked, "What?"

"Sunburst and Trixie? Your best friends?" Spike repeated with emphasis.

With a snarl, Starlight retorted, "Do not say their names! They have nothing to do with this—Ah!" she cringed in pain and rubbed her head.

Spike continued anyway, "You gave up friendship and peace for what? Your dumb goal for equality? The Starlight I know is stronger than that. She would never do this because she realized that her new life was better than the empty one she had before we gave her a chance."

"N-No... Stop talking..." Starlight groaned, her eyes changing colors.

Tails said, "She really was under mind control... Keep going, Spike!"

"You're not a villain anymore. You're one of Equestria's greatest heroes! One of the best even! Snap out of it and help us!" Spike shouted in hopes his plan worked.

"A-Ah! ...Shut up!" Starlight hissed and used her magic to slam Spike onto a wall and bringing him forward.

"Not until I can talk to the real Starlight!" Spike ordered, "One of my best friends. When we heard about what you did, we were devastated... and Twilight took it the hardest. Please... just come back to us." he quietly pleaded.

Starlight flinched once he was done and ceased her magic. "Twilight was... You all were..." she collapsed before finishing her sentence. The heroes walked to her and noticed her body shaking, tears streaming down her face, sniffles growing louder, and ramblings.

"...Starlight?" Spike asked.

Tails took a step forward, "Not so fast, Spike. This could be another trap." Classic Sonic nodded in agreement.

Starlight let out two words, "I'm sorry..." Sonic tilted his head. Suddenly, she raised herself and hugged Spike as she continued to cry, "I'm sorry for everything! For disappointing you! For hurting any of you and this world! Please don't hate me!"

"It-It's alright, Starlight." Spike assured, "We're just glad you're safe and not on Eggman's side. Twilight and the others are gonna be so happy once they see you."

Tails added, "It was the Phantom Ruby. You weren't in control of your actions."

Starlight wiped her nose and muttered out, "So you don't hate me...? But I—"

"We forgave you when you knew what you were doing, we have no reason to hate you for what Eggman did against your will." Spike eased his friend, "So you were here for six months? How?"

"I wasn't here for six months. I got here less than a few days ago. It's still hazy... but I knew what they did made me one of their allies. I'm sorry..." Starlight apologized again.

Tails tapped his chin, "So the Starlight we've encountered before recently was a fake too."

Sniffling, Starlight said, "Okay... so how did you get here? I got here through some portal?"

"Us too. The girls and I got here a few days ago. They're back with the Resistance, the heroes of this world. You remember those friends Twilight and I mentioned?" Starlight nodded, "This is their world."

"Oh..." she faced Tails and Classic Sonic, "I'm so sorry for what I did."

Tails waved a hand, "You didn't do anything. I'm Tails by the way. Nice to meet you, Starlight Glimmer."

Classic Sonic eased up and waved to the unicorn, "Are you Sonic? You're shorter than I expected." the hedgehog rolled his eyes at that comment.

"He's Sonic from another timeline. The Sonic of this timeline is on another mission. Pinkie convinced us to call them Classic Sonic and Modern Sonic to tell them apart." Spike explained.

Starlight chuckled, "That sounds like Pinkie. I can't wait to see them again."

Tails walked to the monitor, flashdrive in hand, "And they'll be happy to see you too. But before we leave, I have to download whatever Eggman has on this computer." he inserted the flashdrive and hacked into the computer, he dug through the files as the others walked next to where he was sitting.

"Anything?" Spike asked.

"Well he has maps of the islands, fanfics involving him defeating Sonic and taking over the world, and terabytes of selfies. Aha! Phantom Ruby research!" Tails said, clicking on the folder.

"Interesting..." the fox whispered.

Classic Sonic tilted his head, and Tails continued, "Eggman knew of the Phantom Ruby through legends. He used the spare energy of the Elements of Harmony to tell his doppelganger in Classic Sonic's timeline in order to lure it here since he couldn't go there. They _wanted_ Classic Sonic to get the Chaos Emeralds and merge its energy with the ruby to warp it here. Eggman used the combined power of chaos and harmony as an anchor to lure it to this world. What they didn't anticipate was Sonic flying through the portal himself."

"So that's why Eggman went to Equestria. He wanted spare energy in the event you took the Chaos Emeralds from him." Spike deduced.

"That's why are you here?" Starlight asked.

Classic Sonic shrugged. So both Eggmen were the reason why he was here? He should've kicked Eggman's butt twice as hard when they met. That Phantom Ruby was nothing but trouble.

"But what about these Chaos Emeralds? Twilight mentioned they were powerful. Did Eggman get them when he took over?" Starlight asked.

"No. They're still in the Special Zone. Eggman has no time to collect them when he has a world order to maintain." Tails assured. "That and the Phantom Ruby is enough to satisfy his ego. He also mentioned something about Phantom Ruby Prototypes..." he browsed the notes and found what he was looking for.

Classic Sonic looked up and folded his arms at the words. Tails said, "Okay. So once Eggman got his hands on the Phantom Ruby he began to research its capabilities and tested it. He discovered that it can warp through time and space with ease as he anticipated and with the energy reserves he had, he used Equestria as a testing ground, remaining in hiding. He learned more about the land's history and once he got enough information he started to recreate the ruby."

"The prototypes." Starlight realized.

The fox raised a finger, "Yep. Unlike the original, the prototypes can also only alter one's perception of reality on top of creating projections of what we think is real. After a number of failed attempts, he managed to get a guinea pig, the leader of the Jackal Squad, and gave him the final working prototype. That jackal later became Infinite."

"What does it all mean?" Starlight wondered.

"It means we know what we're up against. Fakes and mind control. Oh, apparently the rubies need a power source too. I can look at that when we get back to the base."

"Does it say anything else?" Spike asked.

Tails' eyes widened, "Oh no..."

Classic Sonic raised a brow. That didn't sound good. Tails continued, "Eggman wanted to use the Phantom Ruby to conquer more worlds besides Mobius and Equestria! The Sol Dimension, Classic Sonic's Mobius, the Mushroom Kingdom, the Earth he met that other scientist in, Hyrule... This is bigger than any of us imagined!"

"A villain with big ambitions. I know that feeling all too well." Starlight sighed.

Tails started to download everything onto his flashdrive and alarms went off. Once he got all the information he needed, him and Classic Sonic guided everyone out of the plant as fast they could before the backup security arrived. They all got into the Tornado and flew away, ready to explain everything and hatch a plan.


	17. City: Red Gate Bridge

"So Tails, Spike, and other me are on a mission? Alrighty. Hopefully they don't get too ahead of themselves." Modern Sonic shrugged off the explanation Knuckles and Applejack gave to him once his team returned from Neo Prison Island.

Twilight tilted her head, "You're awfully calm about this. They went into enemy territory."

Sonic said, "I can trust Tails to do his own thing, Spike is capable in his own right, and younger me knows what he's doing. It's not like Infinite's everywhere twenty-four seven, Twi. If they can turn the Egg Dragoon into another one of Egghead's pile of scraps, they can face whatever's at the Chemical Plant."

"I know, it's just..." Twilight started to speak.

Buddy listened in on the conversation. His Wispon was in hand, and he was awaiting his next orders from the Commander. He saw Rainbow Dash flying into the room. He heard her cut off Twilight and say, "Hey, Sonic. I thought we agreed I tag along for the next mission?"

Sonic rubbed his head, "I, uh, kinda forgot about that after Shadow told his story. You should'a said something, Dash."

Rainbow folded her hooves, "Heh. I kinda forgot too. Ah well." she glanced at the monitor and looked over the map, "Anything new happening?"

Knuckles looked at the monitor and exhaled in disappointment, "Of course. Sorry guys, I know you wanted a break, but we're getting reports that Metal Sonic is attacking the city on South Island."

Sonic cracked his knuckles, "Don't worry, Knux. Might as well help finish cleaning off the city." he eyed the wolf, "Hey, Buddy, wanna join Rainbow and me in trashing that blue bucket of bolts?"

The wolf hesitated for a moment before Rainbow spoke up for him, "What're you scared of? You and Fluttershy took on Infinite and pretty much won! I fought Metal Sonic before, and he's nothing compared to him. You'll be fine, trust me."

Rainbow was right, why was he scared? He's faced tougher challenges during his time in the Resistance. He took on Infinite, dealt with the Phantom Ruby, fought off Sombra, and helped bring down an ambush. Despite the nagging in the back of his mind, the faith everyone put in him pushed him through. With a firm nod, he pumped his fist and decided to go. Sonic proudly patted his shoulder, "Alright, partner. Ready when you are."

"Hey, Rookie." Knuckles called out getting the wolf's attention, "Metal Sonic is a pretty tough foe. Not as powerful as Infinite, but before Shadow and myself of corse, he was considered Sonic's equal. You're going to need an upgrade." he tossed Buddy a drill-shaped weapon, the wolf catching it, "That's the Drill Wispon. It takes a few seconds to charge up, but the energy it has packs one heck of a punch. It should help you in the fight."

Buddy nodded and decided to give it a quick test. Yellow energy began to appear around his hand. Knuckles' eyes widened and tried to reach a hand to stop him, "Buddy, no—!"

Suddenly, the Rookie bounced all over the room as the Drill Wispon dragged him along for a brief ride. He could barely control himself as he leaped wall to wall in a matter of seconds. Everyone ducked for cover as the wolf bounced all around. The drill ceased and Buddy dropped to the floor instantly. Knuckles and Twilight could only shake their heads. Buddy smiled sheepishly as he cleaned himself up, embarassed. Twilight asked, "Are you sure giving him that was a good idea?"

"Maybe?" Knuckles replied, unsure of himself.

Sonic clapped, "Least we know it can pack a punch."

Rainbow said, "Yeah. It's not as fast as me, but that thing is pretty quick."

* * *

The city was being attacked once more, not just by the remaining Death Egg Robot, but by a mysterious blue and purple blur. Volts of electricty shot out and the people were panicked. A cat ducked for cover behind a trashcan, hoping to be missed by the villain. A clanging sound was heard and the trashcan was tossed aside, the cat gulped in fear as Metal Sonic revealed himself. He raised a glowing fist, intending to kill.

Luckily, a rainbow blur showed up and kicked Metal Sonic back with a rear hoof. Rainbow Dash shook her slightly aching limb and looked down at the cat, "Yo, you alright?" she asked.

The cat trembled and spoke, "Y-Yeah. You're with the Resistance, right?" the pegasus nodded, "Thank goodness you showed up when you did. Metal Sonic's been wrecking this place moreso than usual. It was already in a bad state before, but..."

Rainbow reached a hoof for his shoulder, "Don't worry one bit, we'll kick Metal Sonic's sorry flank and you can get back to cleaning up. In the meantime, head to somewhere safe. We'll be sure to keep Metal busy."

The cat tilted his head and smiled, "Got it."

Sonic and Buddy finally caught up with Rainbow Dash, "Okay, now I see why you went ahead. Those wings of yours really work wonders sometimes."

Rainbow smirked, "Told ya."

The cat's eyes widened, "Sonic the Hedgehog? And the wolf from before? It's so cool to meet you!" Buddy scratched his neck, bashful over being recognized as a hero.

Sonic said, "Yep, that's us. As much as we'd like to give autographs and photo-shoots, we have a robot to catch up to. Get to safety!"

The trio ran to the outskirts of the city to the bridge. Sonic, Buddy, and Rainbow Dash slowed down. "Wow, it's surprisingly empty here. I'd image a swarm of robots following Metal Sonic or something." Rainbow said.

Buddy shook slightly, worried that something was waiting for them. Rainbow added, "If Pinkie were here, she'd probably say that her Pinkie Sense was going off her something."

"_Darn right I would!"_ yelled Pinkie directly through the comms. The heroes all jumped upon hearing her voice.

Sonic sighed, "Pinkie, we've been over this. Can you please be more quiet when on the comms? I'm all for hype, but these things are a little sensitive on the ears."

"_Oops. Sorry!"_ Pinkie apologized.

Sonic then spoke back to HQ, "Got anything around this area, guys? It's awfully quiet."

Twilight answered, "_We are. It's a large signal. Something's definitely coming!"_

The bridge started to shake. A giant Death Egg Robot emerged from nowhere and tore the ground apart. Luckily Rainbow Dash managed to get her bearings and grip Sonic and Buddy's hands with her hooves, flying to the nearest stable piece of land she could find. "Yep. Should'a seen that coming." Sonic admitted.

"This looks to be the last robot too." Rainbow noticed.

Buddy gulped. Sonic said, "We got this in the bag, partner. Just your grapple to swing me around and we'll take him head on with your Drill Wispon. Rainbow will be right behind us." Buddy still looked uneasy, wondering if he'd just mess up again in front of his hero, "Don't be afraid, dude. The two of us will be with ya through the whole thing."

"And if something does go wrong somehow, I'll be sure to pick you up." Rainbow assured.

Feeling a little better, Buddy decided to see what he could do. Sonic grabbed his hand and they jumped, the wolf using his grapple on the Death Egg Robot. Rainbow Dash flew by their sides. A giant laser tried to hit them but missed the three of them as they ascended towards the head. Sonic curled into a ball, Rainbow flapped her wings faster and Buddy aimed his Wispon downwards as it charged.

They dropped through the robot and destroyed it with ease. Buddy used his Wispon to create an opening through the back of the collapsing metal behemoth, allowing the three of them to exit the robot. They landed in a small area under the bridge and needed a moment to get their bearings. "That. Was. Awesome!" Rainbow cheered.

"I know right?" Sonic replied.

Buddy panted, the adrenaline in his system fading. He agreed that it was pretty fun, ignoring the risk of death of course. Maybe the hero life wasn't all that bad, he admitted. Sonic smiled, "Told you we were fine." he said to the wolf.

"_Ah know yer all happy and hyper, but Ah think ya'll should go after Metal Sonic wherever he is."_ Applejack told them.

"We're on it, Applejack. We just needed to get that out of our systems." Rainbow admitted.

Sonic, Rainbow Dash, and Buddy dashed through the small cavern and spotted the setting sun through an opening. "He shouldn't be too far from here." Sonic pointed out.

Right as he said that, a swarm of cubes suddenly appeared and took the form of Metal Sonic, the robot towering over them. Buddy's eyes widened at the sight. Sonic merely rolled his eyes, "Great... Another upgrade."

"Eggman's Phantom Ruby is becoming a real pain in the flank!" Rainbow groaned. They started running after Metal once he started to back away to charge.

"_Wait... Isn't Metal Sonic a robot? Why would Eggman need to make a fake? Couldn't he just build one?"_ Twilight asked.

Shadow chimed in, "_Creating the fakes takes less time and with that, he can cause more mayhem."_

Sonic added, "Not to mention, Metal's kinda known for having a traitor streak. Having a fake would no doubt be less of a risk. It doesn't matter anyway, he's still getting his butt kicked."

"_But what if... there is a real Metal Sonic being built right under our noses?! And he looks more menacing and stronger?!"_ Pinkie wondered in horror.

Sonic asked, "Like Mecha Sonic? I doubt it, Eggman hasn't used that since I was a kid." He knew Mecha Sonic could pose some threat, if he got to go all out like with the emeralds, Sonic realized that it would most likely be a tougher fight than his usual bouts with Metal.

Pinkie responded, "_No! I mean like—"_

"Whoa!"

Metal created barriers of lightning on the bridge, Buddy got Sonic's attention and guided him past them. Sonic said, "Sorry, Pink. As much as I want to debate this, we gotta focus on Metal right now."

"_Okey dokey lokey!"_ Pinkie said before ending the call.

Sonic and Buddy quick-stepped around the barriers while Rainbow swerved her flight path to avoid them. "Has Metal ever done this before?"

"Uh, kinda?" Sonic replied. "At the very least he has nothing to throw at us!"

More cubes appeared, taking the form of Egg Pawns. "Me and my big mouth." he saw some Wisp Capsules and dashed into them, the creatures giving him and Buddy the energy to boost through the random swarm.

Appearing around Rainbow's vicinity were Falcos and Flappers. Rainbow Dash grumbled upon seeing the robots and kicked one of the Flappers back once it neared her. She dodged the flight path of a Falco and nearly got hit by one of its bombs, "Oh come on!" she kicked back the bird-shaped robot once she avoided the projectile.

Metal Sonic threw a volt of lightning onto the ground, creating a wall of lightning with a small gap in the middle heading towards the heroes. "Holy crud!" Sonic gasped, him and Buddy timing their jumps just right to leap right through the gap while Rainbow lowered herself to go through it. "Haven't seen that move in a while. Guess Phantom Metal can use those moves again too. Wonderful."

Buddy saw Metal charging a Spin-Dash, purple energy enveloping him. He reared his arm back and charged his Drill Wispon right as Metal boosted after them. The Wispon managed to strike through the blue robot, sending him tumbling back and sliding on the concrete. "Nice moves, Buddy!" Rainbow complimented, her and Sonic catching up to the wolf, who proudly smiled at his friends.

Metal shook his body and started to spin horizontally, more purple energy covering him. Suddenly, he darted through the street like a torpedo. "Look out!" Rainbow warned Sonic and Buddy, grabbing them with her hooves, their palms gripping onto her limbs. The same path Metal Sonic went down became electrified and Buddy sighed in relief once he realized they were safe from that.

Releasing her grip on her friends, Rainbow saw an opening to strike Metal Sonic and did so, driving her hooves directly onto his torso. The robot was pushed back by the force of the buck and did a backflip, skidding on the floor with his metal claws creating sparks on the floor. "What's wrong, Metal? Got nothing robotic to say this time?" Rainbow quipped.

More cubes materialized and with them came more Egg Pawns, Falcos, Flappers and Orbinauts. The Flappers all surrounded Metal Sonic. The Falcos surrounded Rainbow Dash, who moved slightly ahead of Sonic and Buddy. "These things are starting to get on my nerves." She nudged one of the bird bots.

The Egg Pawns attempted to shoot, but Sonic boosted through them before leaping after the Falcos, aiding Rainbow in bringing them down with his trademark Homing Attack. The pegasus kicked more of the robots before flying and creating small whirlwind to knock them back. "Yeah!" Sonic and Rainbow cheered together as Sonic landed. The hedgehog, pegasus and wolf reached the robot and destroyed the Flappers with ease before landing a double hit on Metal Sonic.

Getting his bearings once more, Metal Sonic threw down a few walls of lightning for the heroes to avoid before charging a Spin-Dash. Sonic and Buddy leaped over one of the walls before quick-stepping to the side. Buddy charged his Drill Wispon and released all the energy right as Metal neared them. The Wispon managed to whack Metal out of his ball state and made him land on his back.

The cubes around Metal Sonic's body began to fade out, more purple contrasting with Metal's shining blue sheen. Rainbow noticed this and said, "I think we're finally getting somewhere!"

"Finally." Sonic sighed.

But to their surprise, Metal ascended, then brought himself down, breaking the bridge. "Ah!" screamed Sonic in surprise. Him and Buddy jumped over the pit and narrowly missed Metal repeating the action. Rainbow caught the two that time and they flipped back onto the street.

Rainbow Dash drove a hoof onto Metal's head before Sonic followed up with a Homing Attack, Buddy ending their conbo with a Grapple, kicking down the robot as hard as he could. Metal Sonic started to fade out more, the cubes continuing to vanish from his fake body, sparks appearing. "Here goes, partners. It's about time we end this! When we join forces, the sky's the limit!" Sonic boasted, wanting to finish the fight.

Time seemed to slow down as Sonic high-fived Rainbow Dash and Buddy and they all somersaulted in the air as Sonic shouted two words to the robot.

"**TRIPLE BOOST!"**

Sonic, Rainbow Dash, and Buddy started to boost after Metal Sonic. They hit the robot, who slid on the concrete once more. Before he could counter, the trio spun around like a torpedo right through the fake robot in a bright blue aura, turning him into a pile of cubes once and for all.

With the battle done, the heroes landed. Sonic and Rainbow Dash smiled at one another, "That was totally cool!" he admitted.

"Heck yeah it was! We totally kicked Metal's sorry fake flank!" Rainbow cheered, giving Sonic a high-five.

Buddy panted and looked to Sonic, who spoke to him, "You were awesome out there, dude. We were like a well-oiled machine! Fighting a... uh, a kinda well-oiled machine. You are a pretty cool partner." he extended his fist to the wolf. Buddy smiled and gave his hero a proud fist-bump. For once, he felt confident. He faced Metal Sonic and Infinite, and his hero was surprisingly proud of him. He did his best to compose himself of course.

"For a rookie, you're catching on to the whole hero thing quick. Pretty soon, we won't get to call you Rookie anymore." Rainbow said to the wolf. Buddy chuckled at that.

Sonic put a finger to his ear and called the Resistance, "Yo, Knux. We took down Metal Sonic and the last Death Egg Robot. We're on our way back."

"_Good to hear. Tails, Classic Sonic, and Spike are now leaving the Chemical Plant and they have a major update from their trip. He said it was good news."_ Knuckles replied.

"Nice!" Rainbow shouted. "Let's get going!"

* * *

Sonic, Buddy, and Rainbow Dash arrived back at the HQ before Tails' group did. Rainbow had finished telling her friends about how she totally defeated Metal Sonic on her own. "I very much doubt that's what happened, Rainbow." Rarity said with uncertainty.

"It was a team effort. Buddy, her, and I did it together with an awesome team boost." Sonic reminded them with a smirk.

"Now that makes more sense." Applejack said. Rainbow huffed.

Twilight shook her head, "I don't know how you managed to find fun out of all this. It's war..."

"That was awfully grim..." Rainbow muttered, "Where did that come from?"

Twilight moved her eyes suspiciously, "Uh, nowhere. Just, hm, uh, thinking out loud. Right!"

Applejack rolled her eyes at that, "Now that right there is a load of horseapples."

Silver overheard the conversation, "Everything alright?"

"No! Nothing is wrong. Nothing at all..." the alicorn muttered.

The future hedgehog raised a brow, "Okay?"

"Seriously, Twilight. You've been acting strange for a while now. Just get it off your chest!" Rainbow said.

Remembering what Infinite said to her, Twilight snapped, "It's not that simple, Rainbow Dash!"

"Um, why doesn't it have to be?" Fluttershy asked.

Holding her head, Twilight said, "Because... Because... Argh! Just forget it, alright?! It's not important right now."

"It is important, Twilight." Rarity insisted.

Silver knelt down, "We're here to listen. It sounds like something is seriously bugging you. Maybe if-"

"Enough! If I wanted to talk about it, I will!" Twilight snapped again. She exhaled and muttered, "I'm sorry. I'm just not ready yet. Maybe soon."

Silver said, "Alright. We'll let you think it over."

Applejack nodded in agreement, "It might be fer the best. Just tell us when yer ready, sugarcube."

The door to the HQ opened, and stepping forth were Tails, Classic Sonic, Spike and... a unicorn? The girls' eyes were taken aback by the sight of the unicorn they had befriended. Starlight Glimmer waved nervously, "Uh, hi?"

"Starlight!"

The unicorn suddenly found herself hugged by the mares. Rainbow was the first to let go, "Hey... were you mind controlled too?"

Starlight looked down in shame, "I was... I'm so sorry for worrying all of you. To make you think that I fell off the deep end again."

Twilight smiled, "We're just glad you're safe and back on our side. I never wanted to believe it when the Resistance told us. But we can never hate you for what Eggman did. It looks like we're all finally back together." they all hugged once more, Spike joining in this time.

"Thank you, Twilight. Is there anything I can do to help now that I'm back?" Starlight asked, the group hug ending.

Sonic said, "Actually there is." he extended a hand, "Name's Sonic. Er, Modern Sonic anyway. You already met my doppelganger over there. I wouldn't worry about any grudges. It's a pleasure to finally meet the real you, the girls, especially Twilight, have been waiting for you to join us for a while."

Starlight perked up, "You're Sonic? I heard a lot about you from Twilight and Spike, it's an honor to meet you too. Sorry about my fake and the mind-control."

Sonic replied, "Like I said, don't worry about grudges. That beatdown is water under the brudge for you and me, it wasn't even the real you anyway."

"Glad to hear it. I'll be happy to help stop Eggman."

Tails said, "Great to hear, Starlight. Because we can use that help now more than ever."

Knuckles crossed his arms, "What did you guys find?"

"We can finally stop the Phantom Ruby!" Spike exclaimed, Classic Sonic nodding.

"How?" Twilight asked.

Tails continued as he inserted the flashdrive into, "I took a look at the data on my Miles Electric on the way in here. Based on the readings, the Phantom Ruby requires a ton of energy. The only place that can provide that is the Death Egg! If we stop that, the Phantom Ruby will be left useless!"

"Awesome work, bro!" Sonic complimented.

"The Death Egg?" Fluttershy gulped.

"No offense, Tails. But that doesn't sound all that simple. It's the Death Egg, it's one of Eggman's biggest bases!" Rainbow Dash told him.

"We know that. Tails came up with a plan." Spike assured.

"What is the plan then?" Rarity asked.

Tails said, "First, we need to distract Eggman. While he's busy with whatever we send out, we'll hack into the Chemical Plant's main computer to shut down the Death Egg's defenses. And with that, we can destroy the Death Egg, which will shut down the Phantom Ruby."

Knuckles hummed, "Huh. That's a really solid plan. Okay. Buddy, Twilight, Vector, Charmy, Pinkie. You will cause some mayhem in Green Hill and get Eggman's attention. Sonic, Rainbow Dash, Starlight, the three of you will infiltrate—"

A message suddenly rang through the laptop. Curious, Amy answered it, "Hello?"

"_Miss Amy?"_ came the voice of a little girl.

Amy asked, "Cream? Are you and your mom safe?"

"_I think so. A strange water creature showed up near the Master Emerald. Mister Gemerl and Mister Big are fighting him, but I don't know for how long."_ Cream answered.

"We're coming, Cream. Don't worry." Amy assured her friend.

"Um, who was that?" Fluttershy asked.

Knuckles said, "Cream. I sent her, Vanilla, Big, and Gemerl to watch over the Master Emerald on Angel Island. I knew they wouldn't want to risk themselves in our fight. Myself, Amy, Rarity, Applejack, and you can go check on them. From the sound of it, Chaos is back. It shouldn't take too long."

The laptop rung again and Amy answered it. "_Greetings, Resistance. We could use some help here!"_ came an elder voice.

Tails shouted, "Professor Pickle?!"

"_Indeed. Eggman's forces are attacking Spagonia. We could use some assistance."_ Professor Pickle said.

"Wait, you're back in Spagonia?" Sonic asked.

"_I returned to my old university after you vanquished Dark Gaia, and once the doctor started his reign I began to refuge anyone who needed it. It appears the doctor caught on to my deeds. It appears we are being attacked by a black hedgehog and bug-like being. Please aid us!"_ Pickle said.

"Sounds like Chrysalis and Shadow fakes." Twilight deduced.

"We'll be right over!" Sonic said.

"Argh!" Knuckles groaned, "Change of plans. Shadow, Rouge, Rainbow Dash, Silver, Espio. You'll head down to Spagonia. I have a feeling it's a high scale attack. ModernSonic and Starlight can infiltrate the Chemical Plant. Tails, Classic Sonic, Spike can wait here and finish repairing Omega in the event we're infiltrated." Tails, Spike, and Classic Sonic saluted.

"I'll be sure to show those Phantoms how they insulted me." Shadow growled.

And so the Resistance began their biggest counterstrike yet.


	18. Angel Island: Sand Hill & Emerald Shrine

Cream trembled at the sight of Chaos, who moved ever closer to the frightened rabbit. The fact that he was here was confusing everyone present since he was presumably on the ground for the past few months. The rabbit hid behind her mother, who was holding a scared Chao, Cheese. "It's alright, Cream dearie. The bad man won't hurt us." Vanilla assured her daughter.

"_Darn right he won't."_ said the grey Gizoid, Gemerl. He drove his fist directly onto Chaos' brain, causing him to roar in pain and morph into a puddle for protection. "_You okay?"_ he asked the rabbits.

Cream nodded, "Y-Yes, thank you, Mister Gemerl. I didn't know where you were at after Chaos attacked..."

The robot gave a salute, "_Was surveying the area for anymore danger. Sorry. But don't worry, you two, Big and I can hold him off."_

"We're so glad to have you with us, Gemerl." Vanilla thanked.

"_It's my pleasure. I'm gonna protect you at all costs. Where's Big?" _Gemerl replied.

Chaos morphed back into his humanoid form, but then Big belly flopped the water creature, making him explode into a puddle. Big stood up and smiled, "Uh, here I am."

"_Nice. But keep your guard up, big buddy. Chaos isn't done yet. Just stand behind us as we take care of this, girls." _Gemerl suggested. Cream and Vanilla nodded, standing behind the Master Emerald. Gemerl turned his head to the cat, "_You up for another round against this guy?"_

"Okay!" Big cheered.

"Wait!" Cream called out to her friends, her small Chao friend hovering right beside her, "I want to help!"

"Are you sure, dearie?" Vanilla asked her daughter.

Cream nodded, "I'm sure, Mom. I can do this, and I have my friends with me. We'll be fine, I promise."

Vanilla knew Cream had some experience fighting bad guys. Ever since they met Sonic, Cream started to grow braver and help him and his friends when the need arose. This was just another instance of that, and even if it worried her, she knew that Cream could take care of herself, and that Big and Gemerl would do everything they could to protect her anyway. She sighed, "Alright. Do be careful."

"I will."

"Yay, you joined us!" Big cheered for his old friend.

"_Welcome to the action club, Cream. I'm sure you don't need an introduction anyway." _Gemerl quipped, punching Chaos' face. "_Come along for the ride!"_

* * *

"This is the safest spot ya could've picked ta land?" Applejack asked Knuckles, using her hat to shield herself from the wind as best she could, sand blowing into their faces. They were in a desert of some kind, filled with boulders and stone statues that were covered after centuries of neglect.

Knuckles nodded, "Sand Hill is a pretty forgotten region of Angel Island. Should Eggman's forces backup Chaos, we should be safe for a probable retreat with the Master Emerald and the others."

Rarity coughed up some particles, "This is horrendous, Knuckles! Aren't there any other spots on this island you could've chosen?"

"Eggman knows this island pretty well. This to my knowledge is the one spot he won't check due to its… less than desirable conditions and obscurity. It's even worse than the temple in the Sandopolis desert." Knuckles admitted, "Luckily for us the shrine is pretty close by from this point since this area used to be the bridge between the surface and the island itself before parts of it branched off completely."

"Ah gotta ask though, why didn't ya just take the Master Emerald when you joined the Resistance?" Applejack wondered.

Knuckles answered, "No matter what, the Master Emerald would be at risk. Since Eggman seemed more focus on the Phantom Ruby than the Chaos Emeralds, it was better to leave it here. I left it with Cream, Vanilla, Big, and Gemerl because they aren't fighters to the extent the rest of us are and again, since Eggman isn't focused on it, they should've been able to miss the war on the ground."

Fluttershy said, "It is pretty strange to think that this is an island in the sky. It's nothing like Cloudsdale."

"What's that place like?" Amy asked.

"It's a city made of clouds. Uh… only pegasi can live there, but I prefer to live on the ground." Fluttershy explained.

Rarity added, "There are spells granting non-pegasi the ability to stand on the clouds. Just be wary of the artificial wings spell, they're very fragile, especially with sunlight…" the memory of the competition flashed in her mind, an experience she'd much rather forget.

"Huh, Sonic, Tails and I can jump on clouds just fine. At least in the Sky Sanctuary anyway." Knuckles muttered, slightly hearing something above them, "We should test that out once we go back there when all this is said and done."

Amy pointed at the sky, a swarm of hostile robots and changelings were moving right above them, "Normally I'd be for casual conversations, but we have Eggman robots and changelings incoming! Right towards the shrine!"

Knuckles huffed, "Great… I didn't want to do this but…" he reached into his dreadlocks and pulled out some capsules, "Take these. Amy and I can handle this, but I wasn't sure if you three could so I held off. These are snowboard capsules, just drop 'em down and you'll go with the slope. Since we're running on short time, it's for the best we speed things up."

Applejack raised a hoof and grabbed, "Ah've wrangled entire stampedes alone, Ah think I can handle a sandboard." she pressed it onto the floor and stood on her hindlegs the best she could, losing her balance for a second as she was the first to descend the hill, "Whoa, nelly!"

Fluttershy gulped and lightly placed the capsule on the ground, standing on the board once it materialized, "Eep! H-Help!" she yelled out, not used to the sport. She would fly, but it wasn't as fast as this.

Rarity was already on her board next to Fluttershy, "Oh my Celestia! Somepony stop this crazy thing!"

Knuckles and Amy got a running start, jumped, and threw down their capsules, landing on the boards with ease. Based on their movements, they were experts when it came to this and had tons of experience. Amy shouted, "You guys are doing great! Just focus on balancing yourselves! The slope will handle the rest!"

"I-If you say so!" Fluttershy squeaked while she had her eyes forced shut, leaning her body around so it stayed steady and muttered. "Keep calm, Fluttershy. Keep calm… Huh? I'm doing it…" she swerved left, then right and felt in control of her descent. "I'm doing it.

Rarity and Applejack heeded Amy's advice and followed Fluttershy, moving as smoothly as she was. "Aha! Ah knew this wasn't so tricky! We should try this when we get home!"

"As much as I want to do that, perhaps we should focus on getting home first and foremost." Rarity told her friends.

Knuckles said, "Agreed. I'm all for festivities, but we have to save the world before we do all that."

The group swerved around a fallen echidna statue and through a gate. Applejack and Fluttershy presumed this to be among the remnants of the Echidnas and silently hung their heads for Knuckles, reminded of the story he told them. Of how he's the last of their kind. They didn't say anything of course, since it wasn't important at the moment.

"How much closer are we, Knux?" Amy asked, also unfamiliar with this part of the island.

"Not much farther." Knuckles answered. They passed through another gate. Fluttershy and Rarity nearly stumbled off their boards but managed to rebalance themselves. They saw the slope get less steep and finally reached horizontal ground, the ponies waiting until their boards came to a complete halt before getting off. "That was a smoother ride than expected."

"That was quite a thrill." Rarity sighed, wiping the sweat off her head.

Applejack removed her stetson and did the same, "Sure was. But personally Ah hope that was the worst of it. We need'ta be in top shape if we wanna help yer friends at the emerald shrine."

Amy said, "All we have to do is go through this temple and we should be in the jungle near the Master Emerald." she raised her Piko Piko Hammer and broke through the stone wall, "There we go! A nice shortcut."

Scratching his head, Knuckles said, "Uh, thanks Amy. Anyway it's just a quick climb up these stairs, nothing too taxing."

"That's good. I can only handle so much, and we haven't even properly arrived yet." Rarity replied. She eyed the stone stairs and followed her friends upwards, hoping to reach their destination soon.

* * *

Cream flapped her ears, Gemerl holding her legs as she ascended high enough for a good attack, "_Time to drop in!" _the robot quipped, falling down and slamming his elbow down onto Chaos' brain. He morphed into a puddle for a second before materializing once more with a slash of his arm, smacking Gemerl through a couple trees.

"Don't hurt my friends!" Big yelled, slamming his fishing rod onto the water creature as hard as he could. The burly cat huffed. He saw Chaos ready himself for an attack, but Cheese flew right through his head, stunning him. Big watched the Chao fly back to his friend and waved, "Aw, thank you."

Cream landed and ran to Big, "Did you see where Gemerl went?"

Big shrugged, "I dunno."

Chaos got his bearings and struck Big, making him hit the floor, "Ow!"

"Big!" Cream screamed for her friend.

"I'm okay." the cat assured.

"_And so am I!" _Gemerl yelled, landing a punch to Chaos. "_Come on, man! Why won't you stay down!"_

Chaos said nothing as expected, prompting Gemerl to Spin-Dash and jump backwards, creating a burst of wind strong enough to launch the water god back a few feet, "_Silent type, eh? Figured."_

A loud buzzing was heard coming from above. Looking up to find the source, Cream's eyes widened at the sight of the robots and changelings coming towards them, "E-Eggman's robots?!"

"Why is that bad man attacking here now?" Big asked.

"_No idea, big buddy. I guess we'll just have to work overtime." _Gemerl quipped, prepared to fight the ambush as well as Chaos.

A changeling dove down and was ready to attack the defenders. However, before the bug creature could clash with them, he was greeted with a spiky fist to the face, punching him across the jungle. Knuckles grunted, putting his all into that one punch. He asked, "Are all of you okay?" the rest of the group arrived right behind him, seeing the arriving ambush.

"We are, Mister Knuckles. Thank you." Cream said. She tilted her head once she noticed the Equestrians, "Um, who are they?"

"Some old friends. I'm sure Sonic told you about our trip to Equestria." Knuckles answered, tearing apart a robot that just landed.

Cream hovered to Fluttershy and Amy while using her ears to fly, "Oh! You're the ponies! It's so nice to finally meet you!"

Fluttershy smiled at the rabbit's enthusiasm, "It's nice to meet you too, Cream."

Amy said, "Can you explain what happened? This is the first time Angel Island's been attacked."

Vanilla raised a hand to gain their attention, "Unfortunately, we can't. That horrible water creature suddenly appeared out of the Master Emerald. And the robots just showed up…"

"I see… don't worry, Ms Rabbit, we'll make sure you're safe." Amy assured, "Do you want to help me, Cream?"

"Of course!" Cream replied.

"How about you, Fluttershy?" Amy asked the pegasus.

"Yes."

"_Well if you're as cool as Sonic, Tails and Knuckles say, then I guess it's time for you to prove it?" _Gemerl asked, holding up Chaos' hands. The robot pushed his knee onto the water creature and pressed down upon him with a Spin-Dash. "_I'll never get tired of doing that."_

"Yeah, new friends!" Big shouted, grabbing Gemerl's ball form and throwing him at the changelings, pushing them back onto a palmtree, causing it to collapse on top of him.

Applejack got an idea from seeing that, something she should've done sooner to clean up ambushes like this. Egg Pawns and hijacked GUN bots swarmed in from the east. The earth pony raised her legs and bucked the tree she was standing near as hard as she could, causing it to collapse on top of the swarm and causing them to explode. "That was a mighty fine idea after all." Applejack said, looking at the large piles of scrap.

"That was fun to watch." Big admitted, slamming down Gemerl's form onto Chaos' brain. The creature collapsed into a puddle with purple cubes again. Gemerl for the moment focused his attention on the ambush that appeared.

"And it was fun'ta do." Applejack admitted, witnessing Chaos morph back into his humanoid form. Luckily Amy, Cream, Fluttershy and Big backing her up. "So this is Chaos? Last thing Ah was expectin' was a water creature with a… floatin' brain that Ah can see."

"I thought he would've looked more like Discord." Fluttershy admitted, kicking Chaos in the chest. "But um… I don't think it matters much right now."

"Are we going to be a team again?" Big asked the pink hedgehog.

Amy smirked, "Yes we are."

Big managed to wrap his friends in a group hug, "My friends are together again! Froggy will be so happy to hear this!"

"Where is Froggy anyway?" Amy questioned. Big merely pointed at the shrine and Amy nodded, "Oh okay."

Fluttershy said to Applejack, "Cream and Big are really friendly."

"They really are. Ah can see why the Resistance gave 'em a choice to not fight in the war, it just ain't their thing." Applejack replied.

Meanwhile, Rarity used her magic to lift a boulder in Chaos' direction and smashed him with it. Gemerl said, "_Nice shot, unicorn lady!"_

"You're the first robot to compliment us, that's quite a surprise." Rarity said, creating a barrier around her to block the pellet shots from the Egg Pawns' arm cannons. Once they reloaded, Gemerl and Knuckles worked together to blast right through the opposition, "I presume you're like Omega where you're against Eggman like the rest of us?"

"_Oh you know him too? Yeah, kinda." _Gemerl replied, pulling out an arm cannon of his own. He blasted a changeling that Rarity was holding down with her magic. "_I mostly keep to myself though. And I would've helped in the war, but Cream and Vanilla wanted me to stay with them in the event something like this happened and you weren't able to be reached."_

"That's perfectly understandable." Rarity said, shielding the Gizoid from a changeling trying to dive onto them. The bug creature bounced, allowing Knuckles to strike it down with his spiked namesakes in the air, creating a small hole in the grass as a result. The changeling vanished in purple and red mist, yet another effect of the Phantom Ruby.

Knuckles and Gemerl fistbumped, "️ Nice to see you still got it, Gemerl."

"_I could say the same to you, Commander." _Gemerl quipped, turning his head and scanning the area. "_Some more trash heaps and flies are coming in."_

Rarity wasn't expecting the robot to pull out a duplicate of Amy's Piko Piko Hammer and slamming it on the ground, creating a powerful shockwave that stunned the robots. The unicorn took the opportunity to push the metal and bug beings down on their backs and lifted some debris from the robots Applejack destroyed. Knuckles also took a separate path from Rarity's tosses and broke through the robot army while the unicorn took down the changelings. Gemerl swung his hammer horizontally and launched a robot to the side before kicking down a changeling, finishing off by activating his duplicate of Tails' arm cannon again. The swarm faded and exploded, giving the heroes a moment to rest.

Rarity sighed and then asked Gemerl a question, "How are you able to do all that?"

"_Long story, but basically was built with the battle data of all my friends."_ Gemerl simply answered, lifting a tree using Knuckles and Big's strength data and he whacked it down at the line of bad guys coming their way. Rarity swore she saw Applejack give a quick glare during their fight, but she wasn't sure. Her jaw was agape at the power she just witnessed. Shaking her head, she looked around, noticing that the numbers were dwindling greatly.

Back with the others, Cream held up Big and Amy while flying. Applejack and Fluttershy were keeping Chaos busy and trying their best to get him in a good position for Team Rose' plan. The farmpony spun and kicked the water god's body to no avail. Fluttershy ducked from a slash from Chaos' hand and lightly shoved him back, making him stumble. "Ah hope ya'll know what yer doin' up there!" Applejack said.

Cream finally threw down Amy and Big, the two of them in their ball forms and covered in an electric spark. Chaos was stunned as both heroes collided with his body, "Oh boy… Twi always said mixin' those was a bad idea." Applejack commented.

Amy uncurled and flipped, slamming her hammer down on Chaos' brain. Cream landed and asked the ponies, "Do you want me to try to do that with you? I think it can work."

The earth pony shrugged, "Might as well. What do you think, Fluttershy?"

"I'll… uh, try." the pegasus agreed. Cream held their hooves and flapped her ears to ascend. "I hope this is safe."

"I promise to not let go without a warning, Miss Fluttershy." Cream eased. She began to spin around, getting ready for an attack.

Big belly flopped Chaos and pinned him to the ground while Amy said, "Keep him down there for just a minute."

"Okay!" Big agreed.

"Ready?" Cream asked the ponies. They both responded yes, and were released. Applejack and Fluttershy stuck their hooves outward and managed to strike Chaos' brain together. His body began to fade even more as he lifted Big off of his liquid body. Chaos lunged at Applejack, Fluttershy and Amy, smacking them across the field.

Big growled, "Don't hurt my friends!" he picked up Chaos and tossed him farther than ever before. He smiled and sat down next to his injured allies, "I kept you safe." he said.

Applejack asked, "You consider us a friend?"

Big smiled, "You're nice to me, I like nice people."

"Me too." Fluttershy agreed, standing up on her hooves.

The rabbit landed and was ready to say something, but something else caught her attention.

"Oh dear!"

Cream gasped, "Mom!" she dashed to the emerald shrine, which was glowing and grabbed Vanilla along with Froggy. Big held his small buddy while Cream hugged her mom. Amy, Fluttershy and Applejack could only look in awe for a moment while protecting them from Chaos.

The Master Emerald was glowing, the most its shone in months. The only one to seemingly know what was happening was Knuckles, who had a small smirk on his muzzle. "What is going on?" Rarity asked.

"You'll see." Knuckles said.

Then, something burst from from the emerald. A second water creature stood on top of it, "_Another _Chaos?" Fluttershy asked.

"That's right. The real Chaos." Knuckles revealed.

Chaos used his power to instantly destroy the remainder of Eggman's forces before turning his attention to his doppelganger, "Did he…?" Fluttershy wondered aloud once she process what happened.

"_He did. I think Chaos is just a tad peeved." _Gemerl said jokingly.

The real Chaos lunged after the Phantom Chaos, and used Chaos Bind to freeze him in place. Applejack, Cream, Rarity and Fluttershy watched in awe as the water god lashed out at its evil doppelganger. Using Chaos Strike, the real Chaos launched a ripple attack that launched the Phantom upwards. Knuckles could tell he wasn't holding back at this point.

Phantom Chaos tried to move, to no avail. Instead Chaos slammed his watery arm down upon his brain and brought him to the ground. The fake laid on the ground and struggled to stand, purple cubes covering his body. "Is it over?" the unicorn questioned.

"Almost. Just one more good strike should do it." Knuckles said. "I think I'll join in for this."

"Me too. This should take about a minute." Applejack decided.

Knuckles, Applejack, and the real Chaos punched/kicked the fake while he was unable to move, their limbs going right through him as he faded into a pile of mist and cubes. Big clapped for his friends, "Yay! We win!"

"Yeah… we did." Amy agreed, resting her chin on her hammer.

With everyone grouped around, they noticed that Chaos had calmed down. Knuckles crossed his arms and started speaking to the water god, "I assume you're here because of the fake?" Chaos started making unintelligible noises, much to the ponies' confusion.

"Can you understand him?" Rarity asked.

"I can. He says that is the reason and that he's staying here until the war is over now to protect the emerald. He apologizes for everything his fake has done in his name too." Knuckles revealed. Chaos knelt down to the ponies and shook his head, realizing they were inhabitants from another world.

"_Some more muscle? Sweet." _Gemerl said.

Fluttershy looked at the water creature, "You remind me of a friend I have at home. Chaotic and powerful, but kind deep down." Chaos nodded at that, grateful they were easily forgiving.

"I am surprised it took you until now to appear." Rarity added.

"He said this was the final straw for him. Chaos is neutral until necessary considering his overwhelming power." Knuckles elaborated.

"Well, at least he's here now." Applejack said.

"Yeah." Cream agreed, "Those meanies

Vanilla sighed, "We're grateful for your presence, Chaos. Hopefully this is the worst we'll have to endure."

Fluttershy said, "We Pinkie Promise that we'll try to keep the island out of the conflict, Ms Rabbit."

Cream stuck out a pinky to which Fluttershy smiled innocently, "Not like that, Cream. I'll show you." she moved a hoof and said, "Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." she finished it by lightly putting her hoof onto her closed eye, the young rabbit mirror her actions. "It's a promise that I won't break. A friend taught me that one."

"_We better live up to that promise." _Gemerl said, crossing his arms.

"I know she will. She's with the Resistance, they'll save the day." Cream assured the Gizoid.

"So with everything seemingly calm here, what are you going to do now?" Vanilla asked the main members of the Resistance.

Amy responded, "We have to head back to the headquarters before Sonic returns from the Chemical Plant. We might finally have a shot at winning, and it involves destroying the Death Egg."

"_So pulling a big heist, huh? Nice." _the Gizoid said.

"Tails said by doing this we could be rid of most of the fakes attacking Mobius. In the meantime, they shouldn't hassle you any longer since they'll be busy targeting us since we're making a move this big." Rarity assured.

"Oh please be careful. The Death Egg is a scary place." Cream pleased.

"We will, Cream. Consider it… another Pinkie Promise." Knuckles eased the young rabbit.

Big hugged the ponies, "Aw, I'm gonna miss you guys already. We were getting along really well."

Applejack chuckled, "Heh, Ah guess we were."

"It was really nice seeing you all again, it really was and I wish we could stay for a bit longer, but we have a small trek back to the shuttle so we should probably get going." Amy said.

Gemerl spoke to the ponies, "_Hey. Amy said you girls had what it takes to fight with them, at first I didn't believe her when she told me ponies who learned friendship were fighting in a war, but after seeing you all in action, I could see what she meant. Kick some Eggman butt out there for me."_

"Um, thanks. I guess." Rarity responded.

Applejack tipped her stetson, "And we will kick his butt. Fer the sake of this world. See ya around, Gemerl."

And so, the Resistance left back to HQ, intending to get their current plan back on track.


	19. Spagonia: City Invasion

The city of Spagonia was currently under attack. The city looked to have been under attack for the first time in a long based on how little damage it appeared to have suffered in comparison to other spots on the planet. The soldiers sent there did their best to fight the Eggman Empire, and it was clear this was the biggest attack they've dealt with.

Rainbow Dash huffed at the sight of the Phantom Shadow standing before her, "Okay, fake Shadow. This is the closest I'll get to a rematch with the real deal so bring it on!" the fake Shadow skated towards the brash pegasus and leaped, his foot directly aimed for her face.

"_Chaos Control!"_

Time came to a crawling halt for the real Shadow as he jumped and roundhouse-kicked his evil doppelganger away. The effects of the Chaos Control ended, leaving Rainbow Dash speechless as the fake Shadow suddenly appeared on the floor and faded away. "What the heck did you do that for? I had it covered!"

"You were messing around like a child and was left wide open. I merely did you a favor." Shadow silently huffed.

Rainbow grumbled something under her breath, but Shadow could tell she was mumbling about how he was getting on her nerves. Honestly he didn't really care, he was here for a mission and that was it. "If you're finished muttering nonsense, I'd like to remind you that we have to reach the university." Shadow told her.

The pegasus nodded, "That's right. I can scout ahead and clear the skies so your trek there is easier."

"If you must, just don't go screwing around again." Shadow ordered.

Rainbow rolled her eyes and said, "Fine, whatever. Just don't get in my way."

Rouge smirked and sarcastically said, "You two are getting along pretty well."

Shadow replied, "I can see why Sonic gets along with her, they're both equally juvenile."

"Take it from me, she's pretty cool to have around. You just need to get used to her attitude." Rouge said.

Shadow crossed his arms, "Easier said than done."

"I'm friends with you, aren't I?" Rouge joked before taking off behind Rainbow Dash. Shadow sighed at the quip and silently shook his head, wondering how he put up with them.

Espio jumped from the rooftop and landed next to Shadow, "Another sector of the city is secure, Shadow. It may seem light but I fear that our toughest battle lies on the campus."

Shadow agreed, "That's what I'm expecting. Has Silver cleared any areas of the city?"

"Not that I know of. He's still trying to dismantle the Death Egg Robot last I checked." Espio revealed.

"You can go aid him. Rouge, Rainbow Dash and myself will check the university for Queen Chrysalis." Shadow said, Espio nodding before vanishing. The hedgehog put a finger to his ear, "This is Shadow. Are there any updates to this diversion?"

"_We're on our way back from Angel Island." _said Applejack through the comms.

Twilight said, "_We're nearing the untouched sector of Green Hill as we speak. Our plan should keep the Empire busy."_

Sonic added, "_Starlight and I are still waiting on Twi's team to finish their part. Infiltrating the plant will be a lot easier to do once that's done. How are things in Spagonia?"_

Shadow said, "The damage is minimal compared to most regions. The doctor only brought one Death Egg Robot and small swarms of robots and changelings here. Chrysalis might be intended to be the bigger threat, but she won't last long."

"_She can be tricky. Just keep your guard up." _Twilight warned.

Shadow ended the call and started to skate, following behind Rainbow Dash and Rouge.

* * *

Espio threw some shurikens at the smaller Eggman robots, the metal projectiles going through them. The soldiers were able to guide the civilians to safety because of this, all of them thanking the ninja chameleon as he leaped to the next rooftop. He noticed that this attack was tame compared to the one on South Island, he believed that Eggman was saving his forces for the inevitable bigger battles to come.

That's when he saw Silver struggling to hold a robot back from stomping on the civilians. The Death Egg Robot's foot was held in the air thanks to the future hedgehog's telekinesis. Silver turned his gaze to his old friend and asked, "A little help, Espio?"

"Of course."

The chameleon ninja leaped as high as possible, touching the Death Egg Robot's foot. He used it to bounce off of and gripped onto the shoulder of the giant robot. Espio used the rope of his kunai to lasso around the robot's head, spinning around its body to gain enough momentum to reach its eyes. Espio curled into a ball once he released the rope and spun right through its face, breaking through the other side of the head and landing on a rooftop. "You should no longer face resistance from it, Silver." Espio revealed to his time-traveling ally.

Silver nodded and thrusted his hands, launching the robot into the sky. He clenched a hand and the robot exploded. Hastily finishing the job, the hedgehog grabbed the debris and placed it on the ground as softly as he possibly could. Silver sighed and sat down, wiping the sweat off his face. This war has been the most he's ever used this much power and it was clear it was wearing him down.

Espio leaped down and aided his friend to stand, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah… just a bit drained." Silver admitted, "Don't worry about me. We should get the people to safety."

"Very well. In the meantime we should also gather the rest of this town's militia to help with the escorts. I fear that we may have some more battles ahead." Espio warned.

Silver smiled, "Then let them try to stop us. We worked together great last time, so we should be able to take whatever bad guy comes at us no problem, right?"

Espio also smiled at his friend's youthful enthusiasm, "Indeed."

Silver and Espio jumped to the roofs and found some soldiers fighting back the army with their Wispons. They decided to lend a hand, Espio focusing on stealth while Silver held the changelings. A dog slammed their Cube Wispon on the ground and turned the enemies in the area into cubes. He slammed it again and finished the job. A wolf swung her Lightning Wispon and destroyed a remainder of the robots.

While they were doing this, Espio appeared behind a changeling and Spin-Dashed their backs. He flipped and threw a shuriken at an Egg Pawn. The ninja landed and chopped another changeling in the throat. All the enemies he attacked faded once he was done. The soldiers gaped in awe at Espio, the dog saying, "No way, you're _the _Espio!"

"There is no need for fanfare. I am only here to help." Espio said.

Silver hovered down and pushed back more robots charging after them, the force of his attack causing them to combust. A cat cheered, "Yeah, Silver's here too! This is actually kinda cool!"

The hedgehog chuckled at that, "Yeah, thanks." he then put on a serious face, "Listen, we're rounding up the civilians to escort them to safety and the both of us can only handle so much alone. Think you all can lend us a hand?"

The soldiers saluted, "Of course. Just give us the word and we'll follow!"

* * *

Rainbow Dash spotted Spagonia University close by in her flight, "So this is the place, huh? It sure does have that 'school' feel alright. I'm already not liking it." she flew right through a changeling, it turning into cubes upon contact. She also stomped on an Egg Flyer and kicked down a Buzz Bomber during this.

"You're just itching for a fight, huh?" Rouge questioned, appearing next to the pegasus.

Rainbow growled, "Yeah. I'd be more than happy to take down another member of Eggman's team, especially somepony as annoying as Chrysalis. She's a pain in the flank."

"Well it looks like you'd get your chance. I'm seeing a big bug lady in there as we speak." Rouge revealed.

"What?!" Rainbow sped up her flight and shattered the window. For a split second she saw Chrysalis near an older man, who was hiding behind a desk. Before anything could be done to him, Rainbow tackled the changeling queen and pinned her to the ground.

"You!" Chrysalis snarled.

Rainbow smirked, "Yeah, it's me. One of the ponies you hate so much. If you're even the real deal!"

Chrysalis shot a green beam from her horn and launched Rainbow Dash, "I'm real enough to destroy you for good. I should've just killed you and your friends earlier, but then again, it wouldn't be as fun if you all weren't together to suffer as I feed from your friendship."

Getting her bearings, Rainbow Dash flipped and drove her left hoof directly onto the changeling queen, "Nah, I like living thank you very much." he taunted. Chrysalis gagged. The pegasus jumped off the rogue queen's body and narrowly avoided another beam. She turned her head to the older man and said, "Are you gonna move or what?"

"Oh, that is quite a good idea. I shall let you attend to this, miss." the man replied. He crawled away from the room while Rainbow held off Chrysalis as long as she could. The man stood up once he reached the door and composed himself once he saw Rouge, "Well this a surprise. I assumed Sonic and Tails would arrive here."

Rouge replied, "They're busy on a separate mission. You're Professor Pickle, right?"

Professor Pickle said, "Indeed I am. I'm glad you were all able to aid us. I assume that pegasus in the other room is your friend?"

"She is. Where are the civilians housed here?"

Pickle responded, "In the rooms. I have done my best to provide food and shelter, mostly by feeding them my homemade sandwiches, but Eggman has chosen to fasten his efforts to conquer this city. It would be wise to leave before this escalates."

"I agree." Rouge turned on her comms, "Silver, Espio, what's your status?"

"_We're rounding up the bystanders as fast as we can with the town's militia._" Silver explained, "_Why?"_

"We're at Spagonia University. The people here need to be escorted out too. Get here as soon as you can. I think Shadow and Rainbow Dash can distract Chrysalis long enough for us to do this."

Espio responded, "_We will be there as soon as possible then."_

"_Wait, Queen Chrysalis is there, right? You two can go on ahead, I'll aid Shadow and Rainbow Dash. She's not an easy foe to face."_

"If you insist. If we need backup, we'll let you know." Rouge ended the call, "Espio and the town militia are on their way. While we wait, we should gather the people you brought here."

"I see. But what of the bug being over there?" Pickle asked.

"The pegasus, Rainbow Dash, is a capable fighter. Her, Silver, and Shadow can keep her busy while we do this." Rouge assured. The two ran off to find the people sheltered in the school and get them to safety.

Back with Rainbow Dash, the pegasus grunted in pain as she took a punch from Chrysalis, "I'm surprised you're putting up this much of a fight alone. Maybe this won't be so easy."

Rainbow suddenly vanished in a rainbow blur once her wings flared outwards, she constantly smacked Chrysalis with each precise movement. The changeling queen was unable to react to any of her attacks. The pegasus then reared her hoof back and pushed Chrysalis out of the building, shattering a window in the process. Rainbow huffed and said, "You fakes have done more damage to this world than the real deals back on Equestria. You got lucky last time, but now it's time you vanished like the other Phantoms."

"Oh, it's not gonna be that easy, Rainbow Dash." Chrysalis boasted.

Rainbow raised a brow, "How so?"

Using her magic, Chrysalis pinned Rainbow to the ground and stood on her body, "Have you noticed anything strange about me compared to the other fakes you encountered?"

"I dunno, you're as annoying as them- AGH!" Rainbow grunted as Chrysalis slammed her head on the floor.

Chrysalis chuckled, "I have yet to turn into those cubes you keep seeing. I would allow you to piece the rest together, but I believe it's time to make an example out of you."

"No you won't!" said a younger voice while Chrysalis found herself trapped on a teal aura. Silver waved his hands and tossed Chrysalis aside like a ragdoll. While she composed herself, the silver hedgehog aided his pegasus friend to her hooves.

"Nice save." Rainbow complimented.

Silver said, "It's no problem. Rouge and Espio are getting everyone to safety, so I thought I'd lend a hand in the meantime."

"It seems the fight is in our favor then." said Shadow, finally arriving to the scene.

"About time you showed up!" Rainbow huffed, "If you're gonna use more of your Chaos powers or whatever now would be the time to show off."

Shadow replied, "Unlike you, I don't need to show off during situations like this."

"What's that supposed to mean?" the pegasus asked.

Chrysalis laughed, "Look at you two bickering like children. The only regret from draining you is no longer having this entertainment."

"Hmph. You're nothing but talk. Care to back up those claims?" Shadow insisted.

"And I'm the show-off, huh?" Rainbow muttered.

Silver started to glow his usual aura and aimed his powers at Chrysalis, striking her with a teal burst of energy. Chrysalis countered this with her magic and laughed, "Do you really believe this can stop me?"

"I think we can." Rainbow pointed a hoof to the black hedgehog, who drove his fist onto Chrysalis' stomach before she could even see it happen.

Shadow looked at her, "You made a mistake using me as a puppet. I'll admit I was distracted last time, but now I'll make sure I'll finish what I started. Then I'm going after the doctor."

The hedgehog kicked the changeling queen. Chrysalis slid on the ground, unable to react as Rainbow Dash flew to her and punched her jaw. The pegasus turned around and kicked the queen in the back, making her collapse. Rainbow turned to Silver and asked, "Yo, Silver. Think you can pin her down?"

"I can try." Silver said, still feeling worn down from taking down the Death Egg Robot. Despite this, he extended his arms and covered Chrysalis in his aura. He said, "There."

"What is this?" Chrysalis questioned.

"Your end." Shadow stated in a matter-of-fact tone, clearly done with this fight. He stomped on Chrysalis' back and said, "The Eggman Empire's end is going to start with you."

With green overtaking teal, Chrysalis scowled and her horn glowed. Silver's hold on her ceased. While he struggled to get his bearings, the changeling queen struck the silver hedgehog with magic and knocked him down temporarily, all while Rainbow Dash tried to reach her, "Correction, the end of the Resistance will start with the lot of you."

"I prefer what Shadow said." Rainbow admitted, finally reaching Chrysalis. The pegasus grabbed the queen and threw her into the air. Using her wings, Chrysalis hovered, but Rainbow used her speed to her advantage, a rainbow blur suddenly smacking Chrysalis in the face. She started moving back and forth, landing a hit with each instance of them meeting. Annoyed, Chrysalis tried to punch Rainbow, but the pegasus dodged it, unknowingly taking a volt of magic to the face.

Trying to adjust herself, Rainbow flapped her wings and wiped at the small mark on her face, "Uncool!" she shouted. She tried to strike back, but was blasted again by Chrysalis, launched back into Spagonia University. She screamed in pain as the window shattered upon the force of her being launched through it. "Oh man…" she muttered, trying to shake the cobwebs out of her head. She was leaning on a now broken desk, it collapsing under her crash landing.

Chrysalis tried to follow her, but Shadow warped in the air and grabbed her tail, spinning and throwing her down, the queen screaming as she descended. Shadow threw a Chaos Spear down and stunned her long enough to continue his attack, "I intend to keep my word." Shadow declared, raising his fist again. He punched Chrysalis repeatedly, and she started to laugh, "Hmph. Finally getting enjoyment out of your defeat?"

"No… heh, it's just that Infinite has told us your every weakness." Chrysalis mocked. She shot Shadow, blinding him for a second and changed her form. When Shadow opened his eyes, he started to shake.

Pinned to the ground was a blonde-haired little girl, someone that Shadow knew all too well. One of the few people Shadow has ever cared for in his lengthy lifetime. "How's this, Shadow?" Chrysalis, now in the form of Maria Robotnik, mocked.

Shadow growled, now hesitating, "You dare use her likeness?!"

"Oh, I understand now. She's one of the small number of people that you grew attached too. I can sense that love from you." Chrysalis continued to taunt. Shadow's fist continued to tremble, "For someone who has moved on from his past, it sure seems to be a touchy subject! Come on, Shadow! You know you cannot harm this innocent face!"

Stepping out of the window, Rainbow watched Shadow's frozen form, "Shadow? What are you doing?! What's happening?"

Shadow hissed, not hearing what Rainbow Dash said, "I… I can't harm her…"

It finally dawned on Rainbow what was happening and she flew towards him, "Shadow. I don't know who that is or how she's connected to you, but that's not really her! Chrysalis is just toying with you!"

Chrysalis said, "Silence, pegasus!" she changed back for a split second and bumped her horn onto Shadow's head, causing his eyes to turn green. She turned back to Maria and spoke in her voice, "Oh, Shadow. This bad pony is trying to hurt me! Please get rid of her for me."

Shadow coldly said, "I will, Maria."

"No!" Rainbow shouted, "Come on, we just saved you!"

Shadow slowly marched her way. Rainbow knew she wouldn't be able to outpace him so she tried to talk him down, "Look, I know the two of us don't get along, but hear me out, please… You're not a villain, Shadow. And I'm sorry for what I'm about to do to your brain."

Without warning, Rainbow used her hooves to pin 'Maria' while standing. Chrysalis spat, "What are you doing?"

"This Maria person is special to you, that much I get. You won't think to ever hurt her. But this isn't her, I'm sure the last thing she wanted was to hurt others." Rainbow insisted. This made Shadow pause. "The real Shadow is a hero, one that wouldn't dare to let anyone use him like this. Now snap out of it, Shadow and help me kick Queen Chrysalis' butt!"

Shadow huffed and got closer. Then he stopped. He remembered the promise he made. He remembered the guilt he felt when Sonic and Tails removed the Phantom Ruby's influence. He remembered his purpose. The green glow on his eyes faded and Shadow struck the fake human, causing her to revert back to Chrysalis. Rainbow Dash released her grip on the changeling and stood at Shadow's side.

"How dare you?!" Chrysalis snarled. Shadow and Rainbow responded by punching her. Suddenly a teal aura covered her, the heroes saw Silver, sweating as he held her down.

"You used me as a puppet to torment Mobius." Shadow punched Chrysalis, "You used Maria's image against me." he struck her with a Chaos Spear, "You'll regret the day that you trifled with the Ultimate Life-Form, Chrysalis. It's time you learned that lesson!"

"**NO!"**

Chrysalis created a large green aura that covered the immediate area. Shadow, Silver and Rainbow Dash were all caught in it and were knocked back. By the time things cleared up, they noticed that Chrysalis was no longer there. Rainbow stomped on the floor, "Darn it!"

Silver sighed, "Another escape… Sorry I didn't get up earlier."

"This isn't on you, Silver. Chrysalis just caught us off guard, but we'll get her next time." Rainbow assured.

Shadow crossed his arms and spoke to Rainbow Dash, "I must admit you handled the situation better than I anticipated."

"Told you!" Rainbow said.

Silver added, "We should check up with Rouge, Espio, Professor Pickle and the others."

"We'll follow, but first we'll scour the city." Shadow replied. Silver nodded and ran off to find them.

Shadow sighed, "I must thank you."

Rainbow tilted her head, "For what?"

"For aiding me in the battle with Chrysalis." Shadow explained, "She got me in a vulnerable spot and you helped me fight through it."

Rainbow said, "It's no problem at all, dude. I'll always help a friend out, no matter how stubborn they can be…" she paused, "_What_ was that all about anyway if you don't mind me asking?"

The hedgehog paused, wondering if he should explain. This wasn't a story he was willing to tell anyone. He decided to tell a shortened version, "Maria was the first friend I had. She was taken from this world too early." the look in Rainbow's eyes shifted into pity once he said that, "Before her death, she wanted me to protect this world she loved so much, and that's a promise I want to keep in her honor. The doctor made me break that promise and Chrysalis almost made me do it again, but because of you and Sonic I can now deliver payback for that."

Rainbow slowly shook her head, "I'm… sorry to hear about Maria. She must've been a really awesome person if you consider her a friend."

"Hmph. Thank you. But you will not say a word of this to any of your friends unless I say so, understood?" Shadow requested.

"As the Element of Loyalty, I'll do exactly that!" Rainbow said, now ready to lighten the mood, "Hey, so we should catch up to the others and give an update. Last one there is a rotten Eggman!" she flew over the skyline.

Shadow stood there for a second, smirked and then started skating after her.


End file.
